Re: Gtk+ GIMP and GNOME

[Maciej Katafiasz <ml mathrick org>]

Dnia 11-02-2005, pią o godzinie 12:32 -0600, Eckhoff, Michael A napisał:
> How much interaction is there nowadays between Gtk+ and the GIMP
> project? I understand Gtk's origins, but am curious about the 
> current relationship. And likewise with GNOME.

Today GIMP project is simply big user of GTK+ that provides significant
testing of some more awkward use-cases due to its specific nature, and
also several GIMP hackers are active GTK+ hackers, but that's about all.
GNOME is today the largest GTK+ user, and also the most influential to
its development, but still it is only a user of GTK+, which itself is
fully independent project with its own goals.

> The reason I ask, is because I was thinking about saving some
> Drawables in GIMP's layered image format and using some of their
> routines. Is the GIMP library a subset of Gtk+, or do I have to 
> link to it as well? 

libgimp is separate library, you need to link to it separately.

> And can I export a drawable to a .ps or .pdf 
> file?

No, at least not until Cairo is fully integrated, which will happen in
2.8 (but even then, you still need to have appropriate Cairo backends
for pdf and ps, which aren't there yet). But if you use libgimp, it
should be possible to at least export to PS, I think.

> I need to plot some scientific data (e.g. vector fields,
> contour plots, text labels, etc.) and it would be nice to be 
> able to add or remove certain features. I like the GNOME Canvas but
> am concerned about its future. I have heard that this is no longer
> maintained? If so, are the Gtk developers considering making it
> into a GtkCanvas? (btw what's foo canvas?).

Canvas is one recurring issue, inclusion of Cairo should help with it.
FooCanvas is simple and easy to use canvas developed by and for
Gnumeric, currently being split into separate library on its own (hope I
didn't screw anything in this description)

> Finally, what are the odds of getting any of this ported over
> to MS Windows down the road? I know Gtk is cross-platform, but
> am not sure about GIMP and GNOME.

GIMP is fully cross-platform. GNOME isn't, it's strongly tied to Unix in
more ways than GTK+ covers and that rather won't change in any
forseeable future.

HtH,
Maciej

-- 
Maciej Katafiasz <ml mathrick org>