Subject: Re: Topic: Tables and 1.0
rms@greymalkin.yi.org
Date: Thu May 03 2001 - 10:22:15 CDT
On Thu, May 03, 2001 at 02:59:13PM +0100, Tom Newton wrote:
> (a) tables support done quickly, ugly unmaintainable code, many hours
> debugging, and an implementation that doesn't import/export properly etc,
> but sort of works. Until you rewrite properly in v5.0.
Or 1.2, or 2.0, or anything else, developers come and go, and someone may show up with a good implementation.
> (b) tables support done well from the start that "Just Work".
This is utopic and may render in never having tables for years.
> Most applications go for (a). Certainly Maxwell did, and yes, tables (sort
> of) work, but if you load a big (50 page ish) document that consists of one
> big table it takes about 10 minutes to load. Got an 0(n squared) algorithm
> in there somwhere;)
If we just have simple tables, we can evolve from there, and users will understand this scenario:
AbiWord is not a final product
AbiWord has simple tables
AbiWord is bound to get better tables with time
Also, having a stable release with simple tables will most probably itch someone's view on tables, and probably tick him strongly enough for a good tables implementation (or a path to it).
> I read a book once about "Good enough" software, I think it was by Coad or
> Yourdon (OO Gurus). Generally it was full of rubbish, but the basic premise
> was that software just has to be good enough to get a job done, which is
> what you're advocating.
No. What I've discussed (and I think that Joaquin also sees that) is that the lack of tables in a word processor of the current age and next age is a big flaw in the end user's point of view.
I believe that Martin's hack bound inside a "container" that can have text wrapped around by demand is a good start... some developer out there will be buggered off, most surely, and ask around a few questions...
Put it in the release notes... We have simple tables, but need help to make tables right and properly, so if you feel something's not quite right with tables, join us and help! :)
> Perhaps everyone who is saying "do it later" wants AbiWord to be better than
> "good enough"?
No, I want abiword to be the best there is, but without utopies.
Hugs, rms
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