Jamin Collins <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Eric Hanson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] wrote:
> > Immagine having compile time options. These options are set to 'no' by
> > default so you don't have to do anything if you don't want the code in
> > blackbox. Because the code isn't compiled in, you don't get the code
> > installed with blackbox. However people that want stuff in, would have
> > it included. I wouldn't duplicate code from app to app, it would work
> > with each new blackbox version, and it wouldn't have to use X as a
> > middleman.
>
> One question, what then happens when a user of BB that did not include these
> then decides that they would like to use one of them? A recompile of BB
> just to add an app that could (and as we all know by now, in my opinion
> should) be an independent application? Or, are we now looking at the
> possibility of maintaining two distributions of each app, one in BB and one
> as a stand alone app? Neither of these (recompile or multiple
> distributions) seems like a good way to do things to me.
Just to chime in with my $localCurrency->{$smallAmount}:
I believe that the various applications should NOT be included in BB. I
/really/ like it the way it is[1], and I believe that many people chose
BB just *b/c* all the different apps are not included.
I know, I repeat what others already have said, but I feel that we
should remember the basic Unix Way Of Doing Things:
Do One Thing And Do It Right!
BB is a _windowmanager_, that is, it should be in charge of managing the
windows. That's about it. Slit, pager, clock, date, mail-monitor etc
are all different applications that should perform their task (and do it
well), but they are clearly not the task of a windowmanager.
The only thing where it gets complicated is wrt keyboard shortcuts etc
and I think that bbkeys solved this problem rather neatly. Of course,
there has to be *some* support for keyboard and mouse in the
window-manager (as others pointed out), otherwise it could not react to
the various focus-models.
But in general, I'd put in a strong vote for keeping things separate.
And yes, I also think that BB is certainly not the most common starting
point for newbies - but that does not mean it is unusable for them. It
just enforces the idea that things can be done differently and that
everybody should choose whatever they like best.
-Jan
[1] except, once more, I never get tired of this, that I would love to
have the menu's be key-maneuvrable and bbkeys-config'able
--
Jan Schaumann
http://www.netmeister.org
