Re: [g-a-devel] Gail next steps (was Re: GTK and ATK)

[Matthias Clasen <matthias clasen gmail com>]

Another week gone by, time for another status update on the a11y branch of GTK+.

- We have more tests in tests/a11y:
   * a tree-performance test that compares populating a large treeview
with / without accessibles
   * a text test that checks most of the AtkText interface for labels,
entries and text views

- The factories for creating accessibles are being removed. Instead we
are associating the accessible type directly with the widget class,
via gtk_widget_class_set_accessible_type. Currently, about a third of
all accessible have been converted

- AtkText implementations have been removed from most accessibles
where the widget just has a simple string. Currently, there's still
some extra AtkText implementations around; the end goal is to just
keep the ones for labels, entries and text views

- The AtkText implementations of labels, entries and text views have
been ported from GailTextUtil to new text-related api in gtkpango.h /
gtktextbuffer.h.

- A number of trivial accessible implementations there were just
setting roles have been dropped altogether.

Next steps:
- complete the factory removal
- drop the init vs initialize distinction
- get rid of all uses of idles
- replace the notify_gtk mechanism by direct update calls from the
widget side, where appropriate\
- always create accessibles in gtk_widget_init

Longer-term:
- rewrite the tree view accessible to store its cell-accessibles
inside the rbtree, instead of separately
- same for icon view

I think once the factory removal is complete, we should think about
merging the branch, and continue the work in master.