[DotGNU]DotGNU -- The Book ? (was: Some thoughts about DotGNU)

[Gopal V]

If memory serves me right, Peter Minten wrote:
> I did some brainstorming about DotGNU, this brought up some
> thoughts:

Now that my brainstorms have subsided , it's good to have a better
replacement ... 

>       - speech transmission
>       - music transmission
>       - other sound transmission

GStreamer ...

> * What's the status of the Jabber classes in pnetlib?

Well once System.Xml works great and we really can parse XML streams
with Namespaces ... we can try Jabber.Net ... if that works well 
let's take the next step folks ..

> * How far are we in the process of making perl/python/ruby
> IL-compatible?

As far as (to use my favourite expression) I can throw an elephant ...

All we have done is in the realm of C# . To make perl/python/ruby really
IL compatible , we have to produce bytecode compilers for these languages.
Or produce effective interpreters in C# ....

> * Can we issue a statement of intention to support perl/python/ruby (to
> attract some new developers already)?

How do we support Python/Perl if we do not have an example of how to
do it ?

> * What's the status on the execution enviroments?

A+ .. The IL Spec has been almost covered in the runtime engine .
With rhys's latest delegate support stuff, we stand on solid ground.

> * Some time ago there was a little discussion about a webservice
> directory: something like the Free Software Directory with webservices
> and a rating system that tells how much we approve of these webservices
> (or a white list and a black list). What's the status here?

Well that will happen when we have a comprehensive Webservice client
package ... What we have are nice little server side RPC systems ....

I have personally tried out Phpgroupware's XMLRPC system and found it
very nice (a bit counter intutive at first) . But we still lack a solid
client package that uses XMLRPC for communication. I tried a python
based client and found it easy to use XMLRPC ..

Does GNUe have a client subsystem for gnurpc ? . For a server XMLRPC
system needs a nice client package to grow into a well formed API.

So where is the client the people are going to use ?... Something that
operates as simple as a browser or as specific as a desktop app.

> #ifdef SPEECH

Hmm...I really should start using cpp on my emails (LOL)

> we can put together books with explanations and exercises around these
> programs we could turn some of the universities into our direction.
> There would be some other advantages too, just consider a philosophy
> chapter in every book :-). 
> I don't think writing these books is too hard to do, the needed
> expertise is already in the project, we just need to put what we already
> know on paper so that new generations can profit from that. We also have
> the right technologies to get a good interaction with the universities
> (Forum is simply designed for this :-) so that the feedback can help
> improve our software.
> I know this idea is something new and strange, but if we can offer some
> education today, we will be a lot stronger tomorrow.

Well I think this might sound strange , but there has been people at the
meet-a-thon asking for books relating to C#/DotGNU/.NET in general ...

I had written to the authors of "Thinking in C#" but the response has been
suboptimal ...

Time we wrote our own GNU manual ... 

I think somebody can organize the procedure by splitting the whole subject
into a set of chapters and assigning people to write a section of related
subjects.

For example writing a book on "Using C# with DotGNU Portable.Net" (better
title if you please) would involve  steps like Getting the System/Install
/test ... Writing Sample C#/compiling it, Writing complicated C# , running
programs , writing libraries , using PInvoke , developing Apps ..........

Could a nice way to greet new people using nice .pdf files which they could
print and read (even sell) . Yes .. A nice FDL'd book would be nice indeed.

We do have the starting chapters in the dotgnu-doc module of libxml#,
which will soon be moved to a more convenient place.

I would suggest the use of LaTeX for the book , which would simplify a
lot of things for a lot of people ... (like people extracting sample code 
out of .pdf files ;-). But plain text submissions can be accepted as
it would be simpler for newbies.....

I'll provide more suggestions if everyone loves this idea , and maybe
some real work ...

Gopal

PS: Co-Authoring a book is also a nice way to be involved in DotGNU if
    you are not really into programming ... 
-- 
The difference between insanity and genius is measured by success