Re: GConf vs. bonobo-config

[Dietmar Maurer <dietmar ximian com>]

Havoc Pennington wrote:

> If this issue is still controversial and we are not agreed to simply
> point "config:" at GConf, my suggestion is that Dietmar and myself
> each write up a thorough document outlining a) the requirements we see
> for a config system and b) how the respective systems address those
> now and in future plans. That would allow the GNOME community to make
> an informed decision.

I also thought we agreed on using the "GConf:" wrapper, and to use the
PropertyBag API to access the values. Unfortunately people still mix
different thing, and use the term bonobo-conf[ig] somehow improperly, but
that is maybe my fault. IMO there are two totally different things to
discuss. The more important one is:

1.) Which client side API should we use, either:

        - GConf client API or

        - The bonobo API (PropertyBag/EventSource/Monikers)

Please consider the following before you write an answer to this mail:

    - Please notice the term "client side"

    - We still use the GConf backend, so you can do exactly the same
things as before

    - It has absolutely zero influence to any existing application

    - We want to use the bonobo API - we do not invent anything new.

    - The only code required from the bonobo-config package is the
"gconf:" moniker. That moniker is only a few line of code, since its a
wrapper. And it is dynamically linked (moniker).

So the question is relatively simple, and this question needs to be
decided now. Maybe we can find an answer to it without first founding an
architecture committee?

So this was the question which needs to be decided now.

Anything following is unrelated to the Gnome 2 release. The second
question is:

2.) What is the best way to implement a system like GConf?

I prefer reusing existing code like bonobo, and I showed a way how we can
implement it (bonobo-conf). I simple don't like to work on totally
outdated code as found in GConf, and I think it needs a major cleanup.

Anyway, lets first talk about the significant things raised in 1.)

- Dietmar