Re: Glib::filename_(to|from)_unicode (naming issues)

[muppet <scott asofyet org>]

On Thursday, January 8, 2004, at 09:33 PM, Ross McFarland wrote:

> sorry to just do it, but it really had to be done, so that it would 
> make
> the unstable rel tonight. the decision was made long ago to use the ->
> syntax everywhere. since we have done so and it doesn't really make
> sense to have two exceptions. the functions filename_to_unicode and
> filename_from_unicode have now been implemented to allow being called
> with :: or ->. and the doc in Glib.pm updated to reflect the -> usage.

that's not cool.  i asked marc to come up with a list of things that 
need changing, so we can look over the list and decide what, if 
anything, to do and how to do it, and he agreed to do that.  the 
discussion is not finished, don't change any code yet!

that fix, which removes the prototypes to allow two calling syntaxes, 
will break code that relies on the presence of the prototypes, and thus 
does not actually support both syntaxes completely.  it will have to be 
reverted.  in fact, i don't know of a way to support both correctly and 
still allow a prototype.

consistency for consistency's sake can be worse than inconsistency.  if 
doing it right means being inconsistent, then we need to be 
inconsistent --- even if it is just for two functions.  (this 
consistency or inconsistency issue also applies in the implementations 
of signals, vfuncs, and GInterfaces, but that's a topic for a different 
thread.)

marc's vitriolic and fervent argument is correct, i made a mistake.  i 
asked the question in the original post (almost a month ago) before i 
fully understood the problem -- i was merely attempting to be 
consistent, without understanding why it wasn't right.


> whether or not it's right, it was the policy made back when we first
> started gtk2-perl (at which point i at least didn't understand the
> reasons) and it's pretty much to late to change the policy now with out
> breaking existing code.

it's never too late to change a broken policy.  what we have to be 
careful about is how we implement that.

finally, re the flaming on this thread --  "Gentlemen, you can't fight 
in here!  This is the War Room!"


--
Brian: If i recall correctly, this is the physics department.
Chris: That explains all that gravity.
        -- Family Guy, "The Story on Page One"