Re: GConf vs. bonobo-config

[Sander Vesik <Sander Vesik Sun COM>]

On Sat, 16 Jun 2001, Dietmar Maurer wrote:

> Sander Vesik wrote:
> 
> > Well, lets go back to some well know ground.
> >
> > Dietmar:
> >         * to the best of your knowledge, how many people were aware of
> >           'bonobo-config, the brand new configuration system for gnome'
> >           before this thread?
> 
> Many. I have already made two announcements on the gnome lists. We also had an
> extensive discussion on the gconf list (half a year ago). Most people at Ximian
> are aware of the project, and I have even talked to peoples at Sun ;-)
> 

Oh, and people who work for the same big bad evil corp as you never count. 

> >         * Why do we want it anyways?
> 
> unified interface for property values, code cleanup, code reuse, CORBA interface,
> scriptable, CORBA_any, ...
> 

These are *secondary* benefits - except for CORBA_any, none of which
weight up porting. Also, any code that is additional to mere gconf
wrapping counts against any code sharing aspect of it.

> > General questions:
> >         * porting - how much additional porting will using bonbo-config
> >           instead of gconf introduce?
> 
> We can even provide fully compatible function.
     ^^^

I'm afraid this is backwards. It should do that first and foremost and
then add any and all other features on top of that. At least if it is to
fill the rule it seems to be targeted at.

> >         * more importantly - why would one go to the effort?
> 
> see above.

Well, the list above has only secondary benefits. 

> 
> >         * how much overhead does it add?
> 
> none

That's an impossiblity. Even a striaghtforward wrapping function call with
no parameter changes has an overhead (unless inlined). The additional
overhead (both average and worst case) needs to be known.

> 
> >         * API freeze/code freeze/documenetation timeline?
> 
> no problem if we work together.
> 

uuuhhhhhh.... I'm afraid you misunderstood me. 

'API freeze/code freeze/documenetation timeline' is something that should
be out there (possibly for a long time) so people who *COUNT* (that is the
people who will be writing apps for gnome-2.0 or porting their existing
applications to it) are aware of it. 

> You missed some previous discussions.
> 

Can you point me at them? I'm sure the information would be useful to
others besides me.

> - Dietmar
> 

	Sander

One day a tortoise will learn to fly
	-- Terry Pratchett, 'Small Gods'