Re: Release schedule

[Nicola Pero]

> I do believe that being able to implement projects portable between
> GNUstep and Cocoa (like GNUMail.app) is a very important aspect for
> GNUstep.  But I also believe it is more important to design a consistent
> API bases on a stable implementation.

Don't take me wrong - I agree on that. :-)

I agree on stating clearly that we are *not* adding parts of Cocoa, such
as the 'scripting additions' to Foundation, that do not fit at all in the
original design.

When it comes to discuss the actual features, I'm probably one of the most
conservative in that respect ... when confronted with specific new Cocoa
"features" I'm very often finding them bloated, badly designed pieces of
crap which I don't want in my system :-)

Still, I'd like our general statements/missions to say that Cocoa
compatibility, when possible without compromising our higher level mission
(creating a free, superior development environment), is very good indeed,
and we welcome it, and we are very much compatible anyway even if we don't
add the latest "features".  When it's difficult to be compatible without
becoming a crap system, we'll devise a "superior solution".

Being compatible with Cocoa or with OPENSTEP is probably not the central
issue at the moment; I'm not sure why Cocoa compatibility is blaimed for
instability, while other stuff, such as the new text system and other
ongoing works (which have nothing to do with Cocoa), are much more likely
causes of instability.  In most cases, we can be compatible with both
Cocoa and OPENSTEP - since they are very similar, except for Cocoa having
more methods or classes (which people who don't want can ignore), so
deciding which of the two we are targetting is rarely a big issue (but
sometimes it is of course).

It seems to me that despite differences in the way of presenting things
(or describing "our mission"), we have a rough general agreement of what's
best for GNUstep (building a great product as highest priority, adding
good Cocoa stuff, and changing things to be OPENSTEP/Cocoa compatible, not
adding bad Cocoa stuff as secondary guidelines), so I'll leave this thread
at this point.