First public release of Bonobo.

[Miguel de Icaza <miguel nuclecu unam mx>]

Hello guys,

   I have just released the first public version of Bonobo
(bonobo-0.4), the GNOME component system and compound document
      system.

   Bonobo has been on development for about ten months and it is
almost ready.

   This release is still an alpha version of the code, but it will
enable people to try out Bonobo and some of the GNOME applications
that depend on Bonbo (the PDF file viewer, the Gnumeric Bonobo
extensions, the new file manager and a few other toys).

   Keep in mind that the API *will* change (not a lot, but it will
change), I will try to keep the API changes well documented though.

* Availability

   ftp://ftp.gnome.org/pub/GNOME/sources/bonobo/bonobo-0.4.tar.gz

* What does Bonobo 0.4 provide

   . The GNOME component foundation based on the GNOME::Unknown CORBA
     interface.  Component can be graphical and non-graphical. 

   . The Bonobo framework for building new components using the Gtk
     object system.

   . Structured Storage interfaces for loading/saving compound documents.

   . The interfaces for visual component embedding, both simple
     rectangule-based embeddings (GtkWidget embedding) as well as
     arbitrarly-shaped components.

* Still left to do

   We could use the help of various people to help improve various
things in Bonobo:

    . API documentation layout should be improved as well as adding
      introductory pieces to various Bonobo pieces.

    . A web page tracking down the development and carrying out
      information about Bonobo as well as a software map for
      Bonobo-based components.

* Upcoming Changes

    . I am expecting to provide control support for the next Bonobo
      version (ie, creating components that have a single view) as
      well as providing a way to load/save their state using
      properties (you can see the interface in idl/gnome-control.idl).

    . The Shaped components and the Views might have an API change to
      make them more sensible, it is sort of hacked right now. 

    . Bounding box support for the arbitrarly shaped components as
      well as activation/deactivation for those. 

* The Bonobo Team

   The Bonobo core team is:

	Dietmar Maurer (libefs hacker)
	Elliot Lee (CORBA guardian angel).
	Ettore Perazzoli (Bonobo hacking device #2).	
	Federico Mena (Bonobo helper).
	Matt Loper (Persistent hacker).
	Michael Meeks (Bonobo and component hacker)
	Miguel de Icaza (main designer/implementor)
	Nat Friedman (Bonobo hacking device)
	
   Bonobo components/GUI is:
	Chris Lahey (Audio/ulaw).
	Richard Hestilow (Bonobo dialog hacker)
	
   Bonobo maintainers:
	Miguel de Icaza (miguel@kernel.org)
	Nat Friedman (nat@nat.or)

* Mailing lists

   gnome-components-list@gnome.org

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   and in the body of the message put the word "subscribe".

   Archive of the mailing list is available at:

     http://www.gnome.org/mailing-lists/archives/gnome-components-list

Enjoy!
Miguel.