> Before you write off the Abi framework (abi/src/af/*), I'd encourage you to
> take a closer look.
Which we are doing so right now, in several ways, such as *printing*
it, running it through an analyzer, etc.
> Most importantly, though, we're *very* happy with the fact that the *entire*
> guts of AbiWord (abi/src/text/*) happens in XP code, as does most of the
> app-specific logic (abi/src/wp/*). Even with "all" that platform-specific
> dialog code, the ratios of code in wp/xp vs wp/win (or wp/unix or wp/beos)
> are approximately 8 to 1. That's still amazing.
We noticed that too. It's true that for the application logic itself
is nicely wrapped in XP. It's just the approach you took kind of
overwhelmed us, when we found that for exapmle the main frame of an
application directly call gtk/win32 API. Other XP framework would
hide that in the libraries.
So we feel that to learn/use the Abi XP framework we need to know GTK
too, as opposed it being hidden somewhere. This is apparent whe one
of our staff, who is familiar with GUIs in general but not GTK or
Win32 specific, tried to abstract the framework to write a Hello
program, hit an obstacle when in the first two functions, Main and
Frame, found gtk_* calls.
Please note that I am not slamming or looking down at this approach.
I am just pointing out a point of view of someone who is not entirely
familiar with platform-specific GUI APIs, and hoping to be hidden
from it by using XP frameworks.
> It's our belief that you could rapidly bring up the shell of another app
> using the current framework. We haven't spent time documenting this stuff
> yet, primarily because up until now, there was no interest in using it. If
> you're seriously interested in evaluating the framework, let us know. I'm
> sure Jeff would be happy to explain things for you.
This would be great. We can probably even help you document it, if we
can find a gullible student to take it up as a final project or
something :)
For starters, we could try to write a 'minimal' Abi-style app (the
classic 'Hello World'), and grow from there.
I have also been contacted by GNOME people, offering yet still
another approach: use GTK only API, and port GNOME to Win32. As for
GNOME, the story is quite similar to your founding with wxWin. We
didn't consider GNOME because we thought it was too platform-
specific. But since one of the GNOME developers assured me it would
be 'quite easy' to port GNOME to Win32, this brings a different light
into the picture
So in summary we now have several approach:
1. Full AbiSource approach
2. Integrate {wxWin|GNOME} as an AbiSuite platform, but still use Abi
approach in general
3. Port AbiWord in full to {wxWin|GNOME}, and branch out totally to
{wxWin|GNOME}-based office suite
4. And there is still the unknown of the imminent opening of the
StarOffice code, which is also XP...
-- Perry Ismangil