RE: New maintainer, plans for the future of XBoard
[email protected] Mon, 08 Nov 2021 17:36:47 +0000
| Newsgroups | gmane.comp.gnu.xboard.devel |
|---|---|
| Message-ID | <[email protected]> |
------=_Part_611_379765313.1636393007 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Op ma., nov. 8, 2021 om 16:53, Simon Scatton schreef:=0AHello everyone,= =0A=0AMy name is Simon and I=E2=80=99m the new maintainer/admin of the XB= oard project.=0AWelcome!=0AAlso, I would like to merge Winboard and GNU X= Board back together.=0AThis has been proposed before. XBoard can of cours= e already be used on Windows,=0Abut the problem is that it would require = a massive amount of run-time libraries=0Athat are not present on WinBoard= by default (GTK, Cairo, Glib).=0A=0ACygwin would for instance provide su= ch libraries.=0A=0ASo unlike WinBoard, which has a front-end that uses th= e native Windows API,=0Aa Windows package of XBoard that would be ready t= o run out-of-the-box on=0Aa fresh Windows install, would not be 'light we= ight', which seems to be the most=0Aimportant reason people like WinBoard= .=0AI don't see how this dilemma could be solved in a way different from = how it already is solved:=0Ahave a separate front-end for WinBoard. Of co= urse we could write a new front-end=0Afor WinBoard that uses more of the = XBoard code. Like generating 'legacy dialogs'=0A through the general dial= og generator routine, rather than having their appearance=0Ahard-coded in= a 'resource file'. An exuivalent to XBoard's dialog generator using=0Ath= e Windows API already exists in WinBoard, and some of the dialogs are alr= eady=0Agenerated by it. I am not sure this would result in an improvement= of WinBoard, though.=0AThis is why I wanted to propose a couple of thing= s to achieve this:=0A=0A1. Drop support for legacy X Window System and us= e GTK3/4 for everything.=0AIn practice this has already happened. The lat= est few releases did not address the Xaw version,=0Aand some of the featu= res do not work there anymore.=0A=0A2. Update the visuals and the feel of= the application.=0A=0ARight now XBoard feels like legacy software when u= sed, and I get that=0Ait should be functional before being pretty but a l= ittle rework on the=0Ainterface would not hurt. I think that would attrac= t more people to =0Afree software and this is a good thing!=0AThis is the= interesting part, but I have no idea what you have in mind.=0APerhaps I = am old fashioned, but I have always liked XBoard's look,=0Awhile GUIs lik= e Arena or Fritz make me want to puke.=0A3. Move to C++ instead of C.=0AW= ell, since this is a language I do not know, and do not aspire to learn,= =0Ait would mean I am out of the GNU project. I probably would keep=0Amai= ntaining a C-based fork for satisfying my own needs (mostly variant=0Asup= port), and continue to share it.=0ARegards,=0AH.G. ------=_Part_611_379765313.1636393007 Content-Type: text/html; charset="utf-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE html><html><head><meta http-equiv=3D"Content-Type" content=3D"t= ext/html; charset=3Dutf-8" /></head><body><div data-crea=3D"font-wrapper"= style=3D"font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; direction: lt= r"><div style=3D"font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 16px"></div><br><br><div= ></div><br><br><div data-anchor=3D"reply-title">Op ma., nov. 8, 2021 om 1= 6:53, Simon Scatton <[email protected]> schreef:</div><block= quote><div>Hello everyone,<br><br>My name is Simon and I=E2=80=99m the ne= w maintainer/admin of the XBoard project.<br></div></blockquote><div><spa= n><br></span></div><div><span>Welcome!<br></span></div><div><span>=C2=A0<= /span></div><blockquote><div><br>Also, I would like to merge Winboard and= GNU XBoard back together.<br></div></blockquote><div><span><br></span></= div><div><span>This has been proposed before. XBoard can of course alread= y be used on Windows,</span></div><div><span>but the problem is that it w= ould require a massive amount of run-time libraries</span></div><div><spa= n>that are not present on WinBoard by default (GTK, Cairo, Glib).<br></sp= an></div><div><span>Cygwin would for instance provide such libraries.<br>= </span></div><div><span>So unlike WinBoard, which has a front-end that us= es the native Windows API,</span></div><div><span>a Windows package of XB= oard that would be ready to run out-of-the-box on</span></div><div><span>= a fresh Windows install, would not be 'light weight', which seems to be t= he most</span></div><div><span>important reason people like WinBoard.</sp= an></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>I don't see how this dile= mma could be solved in a way different from how it already is solved:</sp= an></div><div><span>have a separate front-end for WinBoard. Of course we = could write a new front-end</span></div><div><span>for WinBoard that uses= more of the XBoard code. Like generating 'legacy dialogs'</span></div><d= iv><span> through the general dialog generator routine, rather than havin= g their appearance</span></div><div><span>hard-coded in a 'resource file'= . An exuivalent to XBoard's dialog generator using</span></div><div><span= >the Windows API already exists in WinBoard, and some of the dialogs are = already</span></div><div><span>generated by it. I am not sure this would = result in an improvement of WinBoard, though.<br></span></div><div><span>= =C2=A0</span></div><blockquote><div>This is why I wanted to propose a cou= ple of things to achieve this:<br><br>1. Drop support for legacy X Window= System and use GTK3/4 for everything.<br></div></blockquote><div><div><s= pan><br></span></div><div><span>In practice this has already happened. Th= e latest few releases did not address the Xaw version,</span></div><div><= span>and some of the features do not work there anymore.</span></div><br>= <blockquote><div>2. Update the visuals and the feel of the application.<b= r><br>Right now XBoard feels like legacy software when used, and I get th= at<br>it should be functional before being pretty but a little rework on = the<br>interface would not hurt. I think that would attract more people t= o <br>free software and this is a good thing!</div></blockquote><div><spa= n><br></span></div><div><span>This is the interesting part, but I have no= idea what you have in mind.</span></div><div><span>Perhaps I am old fash= ioned, but I have always liked XBoard's look,</span></div><div><span>whil= e GUIs like Arena or Fritz make me want to puke.<br></span></div><div><sp= an><br></span></div><span></span></div><blockquote><div><br>3. Move to C+= + instead of C.</div></blockquote><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>= Well, since this is a language I do not know, and do not aspire to learn,= </span></div><div><span>it would mean I am out of the GNU project. I prob= ably would keep</span></div><div><span>maintaining a C-based fork for sat= isfying my own needs (mostly variant</span></div><div><span>support), and= continue to share it.<br></span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><= span>Regards,</span></div><div><span>H.G.<br></span></div><div><span><br>= </span></div><div><span><br></span></div><blockquote><div><br></div></blo= ckquote><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>=C2=A0</span></div><blockq= uote><div></div></blockquote></div></body></html> ------=_Part_611_379765313.1636393007--