Re: python-loader

[Jody Goldberg <jody gnome org>]

On Tue, Mar 25, 2003 at 08:18:01AM -0800, peter willis wrote:
> Since gnumeric is attempting to incorporate gnuole, it would make more sense
> to combine the gnu version of VB that is currently being worked on.

What is gnuole ?
Who said gnumeric is trying to incorporate it ?

> I like python as much as the next person, but I'm not sure it's
> what you'd want to use to script and make automation with......

I am not terribly interested in the specific interpreter used to
support scripting.  My preference is to focus on the API.  An object
model and support routines will be created in C then wrapped using
what ever languages/bindings people want.  Python is currently the
most developed of the wrappers right now so it is probably the best 
place to prototype.

Gnumeric needs to be able to import VBA, but there is no explicit
requirement that it be able to interpret it.  If the mono vb
bindinds solidify that would be a possibility.  My goal is to read
the p-codes out of the macro streams and generate code using into a
language of our choice.   However, that is still in the research
phase.

> I'm currently writing a couple plugins for gnumeric (in C/C++). A
> 'libgnumeric.so'
> could be a definite help to adding scripting languages and plugin support
> where the programmer doesn't actually require a recompile of the complete
> source of gnumeric just to add a plugin.(sheesh!)

Huh?
You don't need to recompile gnumeric to build a plugin.  That is the
whole point of a plugin.  If memory serves what you are hitting is a
packaging issue that did not install header files.

> What would make it even easier would be a a proper CORBA/ORBit object
> repository wrapper, for gnome, so it isn't such a trial to enumerate
> available interfaces. It would certainly make 'drag and drop' plugins
> available
> for gnumeric. Then you could just drop an iconified python object
> onto your spreadsheet.

You mean bonobo-activation ?
That's not going to give you drag and drop python interpreters, but
it was targeted at enumerating what interfaces various servers
support.

> In any case. If you're going to program a plugin for gnumeric
> (or anything else in gnome) try to provide as much gnorba
> functionality as possible. That way you won't get completely
> burned later on.

gnorba?  No.  Very very dead ignored code.
Unused, unloved, and discarded.