Re: [gtk-list] Re: Proposed widget

["Shawn T. Amundson" <amundson gimp org>]

On Sun, 24 May 1998, K. Richard Pixley wrote:

>    Date: Mon, 25 May 1998 05:42:11 -0400 (EDT)
>    From: <nuke@bayside.net>
> 
>    oh, how about we just take the linux kernel approach- compile a
>    very tiny gtk with buttons/tables/boxes and start a "gtk extra
>    widget config" :)
> 
> Ok by me.  And how about, if glib/gdk/gtk is the small bit, we call
> the rest, say, oh, I dunno, how about, gnome?
> 
> *laugh*
> 

My personal view on this issue is that as many general purpose widgets 
as possible should be distributed with the toolkit.  Even if widgets 
are broken into different libraries or not even compiled in anywhere, the 
important issue here is to provide a common set of tools with which
an application programmer can create an interface.

Special cases always exist.  For example, we don't want to
distribute gtk-xmhtml with gtk, because gtk-xmhtml is big and must
be kept in sync with the xmhtml author's work.  With those things
considered, the maintainability of gtk-xmhtml becomes more like that
of an application than of a simple widget.

To some extent, there is going to be some overlap between things that
could go into gtk and gnome.  I think ideally the widgets would be
written for gtk with intent to be independant of gnome and then a gnome
layer would be added to that widget, therefore ensuring compatibility 
in look/feel between gtk non-gnome and gnome applications.  (And an
easier transition and/or support for gnome.)

Some issues involved in bloating the toolkit are real; for example, we
don't want to make the core library too large or statically linked 
applications will become rediculous.  On the other hand, I don't think
that size of the resulting distribution file plays a significant role
in the toolkit's usefulness.

These are issues that will probably be addressed during the 1.1.x series
as we collect more general purpose widgets.  

--
Shawn T. Amundson               
amundson@gimp.org               http://www.gimp.org/~amundson

"The assumption that the universe looks the same in every
 direction is clearly not true in reality." - Stephen Hawking