Application duplication (was: Re: cdbakeoven)

[Ralf Nolden]

On Mittwoch, 17. April 2002 10:59, George Staikos wrote:

Hi guys,

sorry, I have a very generic complain that I think new developers (also old 
ones) should watch out for. That is, application duplication and too hastily 
moving code around in the CVS modules which causes headaches and work of 
discussion which could be done beforehand.

Let me take cdbakeoven as an example: We have:

- KOnCD
- KAudiocreator
- Cdbakeoven

Which makes actually *3* programs which basically are suitable for burning 
CD's, although each has different features that any of the other programs 
doesn't have, plus a complete different design. I like the idea of new 
designs. New applications for KDE are generally a good thing, too.

Now, but *please* could those people who are responsible for those 3 programs 
come to terms and think of the following thing: why don't you just collect 
all your knowledge and write *ONE* program that *all* users can use with the 
maximum amount of features. We once had 3 different addressbooks whatsoever, 
and this problem has barely been solved now with KDE 3. I beg you please 
don't make the same mistake with a cd-burner program. Please let us include 
only *ONE* application for any given task into KDE, and if it can't do what 
another program can do, please ask those program's developers to help you out 
and add those features and fix bugs and design errors. 

The result of KDE should be that a user who gets the generic installation can 
find the functionality he wants very easy and can perform his work with the 
minimum amount of search, while at the same time keeping KDE's bloat limited. 

I would ask to please move kaudiocreator and cdbakeoven back to kdenonbeta and 
publishing those programs externally as seperate programs until you have all 
come to terms which program will be a standard cdburning application that is 
included and shipped with KDE. (I know this isn't very fair, but KOnCD has 
been included first and is now shipped with KDE 3.0, but you have an 
influence in chaning that)

For me, KDE (as the project) is about to ship a suitable desktop with 
everything the user needs in a very straightforward, integrated way, but not 
as a shipping platform for different applications of the same time just 
because it is there. Please mind that it is good intention to do things that 
way and not to step on those toes of people that have written applications 
that can't/won't be included because they are duplications in a certain way. 

Comments ? 

Cheers,

Ralf

> Well I just spent a rediculous amount of time making cdbakeoven *compile*.
> This application needs a lot of work before it can be included in a KDE3
> release.  It has severe i18n issues (missing ones, bad spelling and
> grammar, improper format for arguments, ...).  In addition it does many
> things in non-kde ways.  I changed a bit of it but there is just too much.
>
> Designer should really be used for many of the dialogs.  it's not
> manageable in the current form.
>
> There is a lot of code duplication.  Many things need to be refactored or
> there will be lots of creeping bugs.
>
> libtool warns about something being unportable.  I didn't look into it.
>
> For those who wanted this to be part of KDE 3.1, now is the time to get
> hacking.  If you wait, there probably will not be enough time before 3.1
> comes out.  There is just too much to fix.
>
> Finally folks, PLEASE test compile before you commit to cvs.  If it doesn't
> build, don't commit until it does!  When your code doesn't compile, it
> breaks the build for the whole module, not just your application.

-- 
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Ralf Nolden
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