Re: GConf vs. bonobo-config

[Martin Baulig <martin home-of-linux org>]

Ramiro Estrugo <ramiro fateware com> writes:

> But Martin, if I did not care about Nautilus sharing data with other
> applications, I wouldn't bother arguing about this at all.
> 
> Isn't one of the strong points of a GConf-like configuration scheme the
> fact that there is ONE mechanism ?  One way for things to happen ?  One
> thing for developers to deal with ?
> 
> I think the worst case scenario by far is the one where both are
> available and its up to application developers to decide.

The developer of a new application should use bonobo-config and choose
whatever backend he wants for it. 

> What about things like the User Level ?  I think everyone agrees that
> should be more than just a Natuilusism.  But if we "decide" to stick
> with GConf, then we are out of whack with other User Levels ? 

Well, there are two ways to solve this problem:

a) Port Nautilus to bonobo-config and use the gconf backend. This'd make
   Nautilus backward and forward compatible (which is also important if
   you have a shared ~ and some machines with an old Nautilus) with itself.

b) Use either bonobo-config with the gconf backend or gconf in the application
   which "owns" the property.

   The easiest way is probably to make Nautilus "own" this property. Then you
   can just stick with GConf in Nautilus and don't need to care about
   bonobo-config at all.

c) The only thing which does not work is if a property is "owned" by an
   application which uses bonobo-config with another backend than gconf.

> I honestly hope we end up with one mechanism.  But even then, if we port
> Nautilus to the new mechanism, will Nautilus be backward compatible with
> itself ?  To me there is no question that it should be.

Of course it will be. And of course it'll also be forward compatible with
itself. Even if you port Nautilus to bonobo-config, you shouldn't change your
config backend.

bonobo-config supports both GConf and its own native XML format as backend and
for Nautilus, there is no reason to use another backend as GConf.

-- 
Martin Baulig
martin gnome org (private)
baulig suse de (work)