Non-C++ Apps in KDE Main Modules (Was: Guidance in KDE Admin)

[Aaron J. Seigo]

On Friday 28 March 2008, Andreas Pakulat wrote:
> On 28.03.08 09:41:28, Nicolas Ternisien wrote:
> > Why will your Python app will use something new in the KDE API before
> > having the binding ready and updated ? Moreover, changes in the KDE
> > API will only massively be done for major version (KDE 4 ->5), and in
> > this case, all KDE source code will be broken at once.
>
> Did you follow PyKDE3 releases? Its always been lagging behind KDE3.x
> changes quite a bit due to time constraints at the authors side. And its
> not just the big changes of major versions that need changes in the
> bindings, there's plenty of API that gets added between minor releases.
> Thats one of the reasons why PyQt bindings are only provided for rc's
> and releases (and sometimes beta's) of Qt.

the, to me anyways, obvious answer here is that python/ruby apps would simply 
not have access to all the same api the C++ apps would at the same time. no 
big deal, really

the manpower issue is a real one, though, and it's one we only encourage by 
various acts of _discouraging_ their use. developer base is calculated as a 
fraction of the user base, after all ...

so we have a kind of chicken-and-egg problem that we could solve pretty 
easily. and yes, i think the solution is "easy" because the bindings have a 
long track record now and apps built on them have shown that it does work 
very well in practice.

> > About the memory usage, we are currently talking about integrating
> > *Python* scripting language only, not "a mix of different scripting
> > applications".
>
> As soon as you allow one scripting language in a main KDE module you'll
> basically have to allow all or try to fight all those naggers that file
> thousands of reports asking for their preferred language.

i think we can probably say "these languages are ok.." and stick with it. the 
choices are probably pretty obvious, based on common sense things like:

* primary support (runtimes, etc) being Free software
* quality KDE bindings having been available and continuing to be available

-- 
Aaron J. Seigo
humru othro a kohnu se
GPG Fingerprint: 8B8B 2209 0C6F 7C47 B1EA  EE75 D6B7 2EB1 A7F1 DB43

KDE core developer sponsored by Trolltech
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