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Re: libgnustep-base split proposal


From: Riccardo
Subject: Re: libgnustep-base split proposal
Date: Sun, 19 Feb 2006 23:30:04 +0100

Hey all,


On Sunday, February 19, 2006, at 06:27 AM, Andrew Ruder wrote:

Objective-C is an incredible programming language, but right now the
most crippling factor for its widespread use is the lack of a "standard
library."  Right now there are two prevalent options to utilizing Obj-C
in your program: GNUstep and OS X.  Obviously the biggest problem with
OS X is that it is not free.  GNUstep, however, brings along a whole
lot of other problems: crazy GNUstep/ directory structure, daemons,
config files, etc.. etc..  A typical developer not familiar with GNUstep
sees these things and runs the other direction.

this triggers some thoughts in my mind and some desires I have since long. On the other hand it uncover fears. Thus in this email I essentially don't take a position. Although it could be seen as I have one, if some conditions are met.

Personally, the only think I have against this split is complication. I want to retain the current set-up for the typical user install (even more personally I'd desire a back/gui merge so that only two packages would exist: Foundation and AppKit). I also fear it could create inefficiencies int he code and generally I do like every much that ALL gnustep libraries stay in one tree and not spread around.

ON the other side, I must admit that more than once I'd like to use objective-c as a "normal OOP" language, using basic stuff as collections and strings. POC for example, has some of these basic classes. Using gcc obj-c I have nothing. And I don't want all the big base library,daemons, etc. In that case I just need a "library" to install in /usr/lib if I can explain myself. Maybe even be able to making static binaries...

Thus if I had such a small "standard library" small and lean and even usable with POC (or mimicking some of what POC already has) I could use obj-c much more freely and also untied from GCC.

We could extract some of our extensions to a library, clean up some of the classes to make small and lean objects (not NS* stuff) and then base the NS* stuff on them.

That is just my 2 cents,

have fun,
  Riccardo





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