I've split your reply into sections with headers, hope this helps with
readability - this is really another cry at a call to arms - maybe when (if) we
have something more concrete we can post something on the website. In summary it
says:
"I invite ALL of you to mail this list and tell use
what your up to, what your ideas are - please don't hold back unleash the
fury."
>ACTIVE DEVELOPERS:
Agreed
but we can at least start somewhere, piecing together what information we can
find, even if it adjacent on loosely related - the acorn must be
planted.
>TO
DO
Make a note of what developers
think should be worked on and make a list of user requests- at least it will
give a start to newbies looking to get involved in the project like me - even if
it just ends up into one big brainstorm with some areas more abstract ideas than
others, i.e. list of widgets whose working on what widget, requested widgets
with no owners etc - the acorn must be
planted
>ROAD MAP AND BACKWARDS
COMPATIBILITY
I agree a roadmap is hard to do. I've also looked at
2.9 but as this seems to be a "one man project" with little discussion on the
list it seems difficult to get involved - or understand what is being
undertaken. Extremely quite mailing lists make things difficult too, after
completing my code change I still have no idea how valid it is or how to get it
incorporated into DynAPI - this is not going to help newbies get
involved.
Agreed backwards compatibility is a big issue,
particularly i.e. 4.7 - I think 4.7 should be dropped or have tiered
support, giving backwards compatibility with some stuff while not holding back
the new stuff (DynAPI must be able to look forward without being
held back) - code separation is important as NS4.7 support is
ugly, i.e. two scripts with identical APIs that are called depending
on browser. Maybe compatibility grouping scripts so that major differences
are in different scripts, and minor ones in the same script. Something on the
lines of (please don't criticize this code, its just an
illustration):
var NS4 =
(document.layers) ? true : false;
var IE4 = (document.all) ? true : false;
var IE4 = (document.all) ? true : false;
var browser =
NS4 ? "NS4" : IE4 ? "IE4" : "none";
document.write("<scr" + "ipt
language='javascript1.2' src=''menu"+ browser +".js'
type='text/javascript'><\/scr" + "ipt>");
Anyway with things
like xmljs http://xmljs.sourceforge.net/ happening big things could be ahead
if we can get more of a community effort going.
I'm willing to
help with this - documentation, project co-ordination etc what ever it
takes - I'll even maintain a website for develop status and info based on
feedback from this mailing list - but I need everyone's help - I also think this
push should be towards the newer 2.9 branch where we can start 3.0 on a clean
co-ordinated slate.
So please I
invite ALL of you to mail this list and tell use what your up to, what your
ideas are - please don't hold back unleash the fury.
Here's a
little acorn - probably not relevant, but hopefully I will make it so with your
help.
Developers
Mark
Proctor
Jordi
Dan
Functional
Tasks 2.5.x
1) onDrop - ability to attach listener to source
or target (Mark Proctor)
2) Snap position layout facilities, including ability
to automatically adjust to avoid overlaps (Mark
Proctor)
3) .....
Functional
Tasks 2.9.x
4) .....
(xxxxxx)
5)
....
Widgets
2.5.x
6)....
(xxxxx)
Widgets 2.9.x
7 ..... (xxxxx)
where (xxxx) is name of the person who has taken
ownership.
Mark
---------------------------------------------------------------
I think I know what the answer would be and
that it
isn't what you'd expect.
>ACTIVE DEVELOPERS:
The number of active developers vary a lot. Robert and
Jordi being the most devoted active developers on the
current 2.5.x version and Dan on the 2.9.x branch
towards a DynAPI 3.x release. BUT the strenght of the
dynapi project is that there are lots of other people
doing development in a multiude of different ways,
making it hard to define what 'AN' active developer
is.
isn't what you'd expect.
>ACTIVE DEVELOPERS:
The number of active developers vary a lot. Robert and
Jordi being the most devoted active developers on the
current 2.5.x version and Dan on the 2.9.x branch
towards a DynAPI 3.x release. BUT the strenght of the
dynapi project is that there are lots of other people
doing development in a multiude of different ways,
making it hard to define what 'AN' active developer
is.
>TO DO:
What needs to be worked on isn't always the focus in
this project. The developers are for the most part
thinking in what they would use which may be different
from what other users would need. Currently though the
most sought for feature is documentation (although I
personally feel that there's a lot more whining about
this than lacking). The second most sought for feature
is a wider scope of compability.
What needs to be worked on isn't always the focus in
this project. The developers are for the most part
thinking in what they would use which may be different
from what other users would need. Currently though the
most sought for feature is documentation (although I
personally feel that there's a lot more whining about
this than lacking). The second most sought for feature
is a wider scope of compability.
>ROAD MAP AND
BACKWARDS COMAPATABILITY
Roadmap is kinda diversed and induvidual. I
think you
might rather talk of a philosophy in which keeping
backwards compability is the strongest aim (can't say
I'm totally sure on this, cause its very diffuse)
might rather talk of a philosophy in which keeping
backwards compability is the strongest aim (can't say
I'm totally sure on this, cause its very diffuse)
Actiually I think that Pascal might be right about
DynAPI being hold back, mainly because of keeping
Netscape 4.x compability. Dropping support for this
browser, would loosen up on many restrictions in the
API and is also what probably could first be dropped,
because of its minimal market-share. However, the
questions is if that should be done in favor of
support for currently unsupported or only partly
suported browser/systems. Linux and Mac as platforms
are still having lot's of issues and maybe that should
be considerd for efforts. But also for that, there's
need to join up some developers who are working on
those platforms and intrested in delving into adapting
DynAPI features for those platforms. Linux and MacOSX
are after all at least heading for a future which
Netscape 4.X isn't.
Basicly DynAPI is at its core aiming for development
towards the widest possible mainstream of internet
users to enjoy DHTML features. Its legacy being native
and FREE browser supported dynamicity in webpages for
4.x browsers and up.
Rivals is mostly closed-code development platforms
like Macromedia Flash in the lead. Wheter DynAPI
actually could match up to Flash I'm doubting, but it
has something that still makes it worth considering -
pro-java syntax. While Flash is forcing on its own
scripting language, DynAPI is a good tool if you
considering moving up from simple javascripting to the
Java language.
What it lacks that competitiors doesn't is
documentation and a tool for development.
Documentation - even if somewhat outdated - was done
by Pascal and a series in 6 parts essay on using the
DynAPI on ZDnet.
Also a couple of few developers - including myself -
are working on another SourceForge project for a IDE
to DynAPI and dynamic webpage development in general
(see http://dynapyide.sf.net).
Also a couple of other projects have been announced
even if I'm unsure of their current status.
So things are moving even if not as directed as you
were probing for. Now anybody fill in and correct me
if I'm errorous on some points, but I think I have
fairly good insight into the project, been monitoring
it for almost 2 years.
Henrik Våglin [ [EMAIL PROTECTED] ]
PS I think this only belongs in the developers list.
Cross-posting is not apprieated in most cases, so I
only post here. DS
--- Mark Proctor <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> skrev: > I
contacted Pascal to ask about what's happening
> with DomLib, thought I
> forward his reply to the list - hoping to maybe
> spark up a little
> discussion on his comment of DynAPI being held back
> and talk about what's
> happening in the future. I'm new to the project but
> I want to get involved
> as a I see DynAPI being a tremendous help in my
> projects, so having an idea
> of a roadmap and some of the obstacles DynAPI is
> facing would be fantastic
> - I would be more than happy, with your help, to
> compile this document if
> nothing is available at the moment.
>
> How many active developers does DynAPI have?
> Do we know who is working on what?
> What needs to be worked on, but doesn't have a
> current owner?
> What are DynAPI's current obstacles, and what are
> the proposals - and what
> roadmap is proposed?
> Whats being done about taking advantages of new
> technology and standards,
> but giving some backwards compatibility - maybe a
> two tier system?
>
> Mark
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