Last week Google announced the release of a revised Native Client Software Development Kit (SDK). The SDK provides developers with a way to allow web apps that execute native code to gain secure access to the full functionality of the client processor.
By using native clients, applications are able to run much quicker in browsers than JavaScript or Flash apps, but they are required to run in a secure environment that is refered to as a “sandbox”. The Native Client API, which is a part of the SDK, enables apps to do just that.
Besides the APIs, documentation and examples are included to assist developers in writing modules in C or C++. These modules work along with JavaScript in the web browser. Google is continuing to develop the SDK, which will eventually include support for 3D graphics, local file storage and peer-to-peer networking.