On Thu, Nov 23, 2000 at 02:52:35PM +1000, Allan Rae wrote:
>
> Fast, flexible development comes from a stable source base not from
[...]
...and well-written, well-commented source. Let's not forget that.
> Forking a KLyX, a GLyX and a CursesLyX won't make it quicker and easier to
> develop LyX. It will make it easier to develop KLyX or GLyX or CursesLyX.
> Keeping the various ports under the same tree ensures they use the same
> core and any innovations that might occur in one core occurs in another
> instantly.
Toolkit-bound versions also increase the price of entry for new
developers. This is what held me back every time I tried to dive into
the LyX source in grad-school: the squirrelly, xforms-specific junk
weaving its way through the code. Modularity improves readability.
> For me one of the greatest annoyances with KDE and Gnome has
> always been that both camps grab an application or utility, fork it and
> port to their "chosen way" and then expect the original developers to
> thank them for it (but still expect them to either switch to the "chosen
> way" or crossport whatever they can to survive).
Another reason LyX never switched exclusively to Qt or Gtk. No one
here wanted to get involved with the Great Desktop Holy War... weren't
gonna touch that thing with 150ft pole! We wanted to remain neutral
and let things calm down.
> You talk about user focus and getting more users and making users happy.
> How about existing users?
Here here!
> I don't give a rats about licences. If it's free to use and does what I
> want I'll use it.
I seem to recall a former devvie, trained in the legal profession, who
kept referring to the members of the "Great License Holy War" as
muttonheads.
> We have never wanted to be part of some petty KDE vs Gtk struggle. There
> are far more important things in life. If we pick Gtk/GNOME you hate us.
> If we pick KDE the GNOME people hate us. We're stuck in the middle of a
> silly little war when all we want to do is write a great application.
Great Desktop Holy War... Zathras warn, but no one listen to Zathras, no.
My perspective: I still find peer-review to be a Good Thing, and
think it would be valuable to get a group of new-to-LyX-source devvies
to do a code-review.
--
John Weiss
"Not through coersion. Not by force. But by compassion. By
affection. And, a small fish." -His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama
