[lazarus] Open for Opinion

Michael A. Hess mhess at miraclec.com
Wed May 19 02:55:33 EDT 1999


Cliff Baeseman wrote:
> 
> 1.  Fact - I am unable to run the code anymore at all.

I just did a totally clean new checkout of lazarus from CVS and I had no
problem compiling and running it. It still cores when I attempt to load
a file but I can run the code.

> 2. Fact - Delphi clone constructs are not working all that well.

Why do you say this?

> 3. Fact - The compiler is having a time with the complexity of our
>           code.

Agreed, but that is not a fault of ours. After all we are still trying
to do what we are with a product, FPC, that is still in development
phase. It is growing along with the lazarus code.
 
> 4. Fact - It is difficult for us to work on seperate portions of the
>           code in the currrent model.

Again I ask why do you say this? It appeared to me that things seem to
be moving along nicely.
 
> Now call me stupid or whatever but here is what I am opening for
> discussion.  I suggest we step back for a moment and take a look at a
> simpler way to get to the initial goal.

Well that all depends on the question, "What is your goal?"

I assumed at this point that the goal and only goal was to build an IDE
for FPC in Linux. By using gtk+ as the GUI API it means it can also be
used in Windows. Nice addition but not part of the real goal.

Point in fact the IDE doesn't have to use ANY of the TControl or
TComponent or any of the class structures as they now stand. I believe
you wanted to use them to at least get somewhat of a start on building
up the component base. Nice if you/we could but is it the goal?

In my opinion go hog wild making your classes do WHATEVER you want them
to do. Use gtk+. embed it as tight as you want. You are developing
lazarus. Lazarus by definition is an IDE for FPC. It isn't the FCL for
FPC. If we can in the future use some of the lazarus code as part of the
FCL well then that is great.

The fpide for Windows is written in Delphi for heavens sake. The Linux
IDE doesn't even NEED to be written in FPC.

At this point the lazarus directory could be deleted from the FPC CVS
and it wouldn't effect FPC in any way, shape, or form. It is a separate
item until it is cleaned up and generic enough to become part of the FCL
of FPC. That might not ever happen. Maybe the FCL will take a different
path but we would have an IDE, Lazarus, to use to work on it. 


So my answer to the "Open for Opinion" is do whatever you need to do to
make a working IDE. Don't worry if some of the code or classes you
create aren't extensible anywhere else. At this point they don't need to
be.


-- 
==== Programming my first best destiny! ====

Michael A. Hess      Miracle Concepts, Inc.
mhess at miraclec.com   http://www.miraclec.com






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