[Kexi] Kexi with QT only

[Jaroslaw Staniek]

On 2 April 2010 09:57, Giuseppe Torelli <colossus73 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Kexi is a GREAT software for Linux. An Access alternative was really
> missing before Kexi came to existence. However to use Kexi you have to
> install a bunch of KDE libraries and those Linux users like who don't
> use neither GNOME or KDE to use Kexi have to install a LOT of packages
> only to use one software.

Hi Giuseppe
To be clear: Kexi is KDE application. KDE no longer means K Desktop
Environment, but just KDE.
Thus Kexi depends on some KDE and KOffice libraries exactly as you
noted. These libraries extend (not replace) Qt in many areas. If one
would write app like Kexi from scratch using Qt only, most of the
libraries it needs would have to be  reimplemented or copied. Yet,
users would end up with more libraries loaded in their systems, not
less. How is that possible?
The simple answer is: sharing. KDE applications share common
libraries, or graphics, or even message translations, that in turn are
loaded only once on your system. And this is also e.g. why KOffice
takes a fraction of space that is needed for openoffice.org.

Really, only small applications rewrite everything from scratch, and
the level of integration is poor, e.g. no mime types are properly
handled, settings system is unfamiliar...

At operating system level, what you need to run is just X11 with
window manager (I am sure you know this very well but I mention that
to others). Kexi, like most of KDE apps, does not limit you in
regarding your desktop. So desktop (kde workspace) is not a dependency
and is not installed.
Also, packaging systems install only needed parts, some of them are
large (well, not anymore in 2010) - like icons (shared between apps) -
but how we're talking about GUI program. Kexi itself is even clearly
splitted into packages so users can install only needed components (we
openly work with Linux/Windows/etc. distribution makers to handle that
well - example document: [0])

I strongly encourage users that do not install KDE/Gnome Desktops to
use Kexi, and share the experiences. We can improve  integration
together - but only if we know the issues or wishes. Maybe something
can be improved in packaging at KDE level too. An example of how
stripping down of applications is possible, is the Fremantle Office -
KOffice compilation for maemo (later: MeeGo) mobile phones [1]. It
fits on the phone obviously without Gnom/KDE desktop :)
That said, much of the work is also on  the distributors side, not the
developers.

You're welcome to the Kexi mailing list [2]. There's also KOffice
mailing list [3].

[0] http://websvn.kde.org/*checkout*/trunk/koffice/README.PACKAGERS
[1] http://www.koffice.org/news/office-viewer-for-maemo5-based-on-koffice/
[2] https://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kexi
[3] https://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/koffice

-- 
regards / pozdrawiam, Jaroslaw Staniek
 http://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaniek
 Kexi & KOffice (http://www.kexi-project.org, http://www.koffice.org)
 KDE Software Development Platform on MS Windows (http://windows.kde.org)