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The Future of libgnome and libgnomeui Anders Carlsson Jonathan Blandford

The Future of libgnome and libgnomeui Anders Carlsson Jonathan Blandford. History of gnome-libs. What are libgnome/libgnomeui? Initial GNOME library Held all shared code in the early desktop Dumping ground before we really knew what we wanted in a desktop. Problems.

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The Future of libgnome and libgnomeui Anders Carlsson Jonathan Blandford

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  1. The Future of libgnome and libgnomeui Anders Carlsson Jonathan Blandford

  2. History of gnome-libs • What are libgnome/libgnomeui? • Initial GNOME library • Held all shared code in the early desktop • Dumping ground before we really knew what we wanted in a desktop

  3. Problems • Lack of defined scope • GTK+ does widgets • GConf does configuration • gnome-libs does ??? • Dependency liability • Bonobo not portable to windows • Complicates the platform • Relatively unmaintained code base • Desktop integration issue

  4. Our Goal • Deprecate • Whack entirely!! • Remove • Fit with a pair of concrete shoes • Send to the great Attic/ in the sky

  5. Our Approach • Deprecate as much as code as possible • Move inappropriately placed code into appropriate libraries • See what's left • With some luck, everything will be gone

  6. Comparison of Size

  7. What the heck is there? • Dead code • General purpose objects and widgets • Code to integrate non-codependent libraries • Code to integrate applications with the desktop

  8. Dead Code • Large chunks of both libraries are deprecated • Over a third • kept for ABI/API compatibility only • 'nuff said

  9. Objects and Widgets • About a dozen widgets • Tend to be lower quality than GTK+ • All except GnomeApp and GnomeEntry are straightforward • All have either an appropriate target library where they belong or can be deprecated

  10. Objects • gnome-client • gnome-config • gnome-i18n • gnome-score

  11. Widgets • GnomeAbout • GnomeApp/GnomeDock • GnomeDruid • GnomeEntry • GnomeHRef • GnomeIconList • gnome_icon_lookup()

  12. gnome-client • Description: • Provides session manager support to applications • Problem: • Buggy and unmaintained • Too complicated • Action: • Finish GsmClient and move it into GTK+

  13. gnome-config • Description: • .desktop file parser • Problem: • not flexible • indeterminate use case • Many alternate implementations (6 at last count) • Action: • Rewrite proposed by Ray Strode: #139973

  14. gnome-i18n • Description: • provides a set of standard gettext macros • gnome_i18n_get_language_list() • Problems: • Used by libraries lower in the library stack • Cut-n-pasted all over • Solution: • Move language list getter to glib • Discussed in #95587

  15. gnome-score(s) • Description: • Set of widgets and library code for handling game score code • Problem: • Not generically useful • Action: • move into gnome-games as a library

  16. GnomeAbout • Description: • Simple 'About...' dialog • Problem: • Limited API • Action: • Move to GTK+ once the API is done • Discussed in #109435

  17. GnomeApp/GnomeDock • Description: • Framework for application main windows. • Problem: • Unclear that users actually want this • Depends on BonoboDock • HIG is moving in a different direction • Different apps have different forms. Think IDE vs. Office vs Web browser...

  18. GnomeApp/GnomeDock (II) • Action: • If need be, write one or more dock for GTK+. • Unclear if needed

  19. GnomeDruid • Description: • Assistant widget • Problem: • Complex API • Bad for accessibility as style can be set explicitly • Action: • Discussed in #115348 • HIG work needed

  20. GnomeEntry • Description: • Multiple specialized history entries • Problem: • Complex API • Dubious targets • Standards non-compliance • Depends on gconf • Action: • James Cape proposed a replacement

  21. GnomeHRef • Description: • Simple hyperlink button • Problem: • Depends on gnome-vfs • Solution: • Unclear. Possibly provide callbacks that gnome-vfs can use.

  22. GnomeIconList • Description: • A simple icon list widget • Problem: • Uses gnome-canvas • Unmaintained • Too simple a widget • Action: • Discussed in #61819

  23. gnome_icon_lookup() • Description: • Set of functions to lookup an icon from file information • Problems: • depends on gnome_vfs • Actions: • Unclear

  24. Integration code (I) • gnome-libs is high in the library chain

  25. Problems • Some libraries depend on functionalities that other libraries provide. For example: • GTK+ needs gconf keys • GTK+ needs gnome-vfs methods • gnome-vfs needs graphical and widget abilities

  26. GTK+ and gconf • History of proposed entry widgets • Color picker palette • Themes • Settings (such as double click time, drag threshold)

  27. GTK+ and gnome-vfs • Filechooser backend • URL callbacks • VFS access to files

  28. gnome-vfs and GTK+ • Authentication dialogs • Warning messages • Launch feedback on application launch

  29. Integration code (II) • code to integrate GNOME applications with the rest of the desktop. • gnome-help • gnome-program • gnome-sound • gnome-triggers

  30. gnome-help • Description: • Integrated help system • Problem: • GNOME specific • Action: • Move to GTK+?

  31. gnome-program • Description: • Provides three distinct features: • Argument Parser • Central repository for known paths • Desktop integration system

  32. gnome-program (II) • Problems: • Argument parsing uses popt, which doesn't handle UTF-8 correctly • popt API doesn't fit stylistically • path repository doesn't work well • path repository also doesn't use xdg basedir spec • module registry requires explicit linking, and doesn't work well with language bindings

  33. gnome-program (III) • Solutions: • Anders has written an option parser destined for glib. • Path repository should be rethought. Really only used for help • Library registry in glib? • We don't know

  34. gnome-sound • Description: • Plays sound files. Goes 'ping' • Uploads sound files to the esound daemon • Problem: • uses esound • largely uninteresting • Action: • GStreamer, if needed. Dump otherwise.

  35. gnome-triggers • Description: • Plays sounds when global events occur. • Problem: • Depends on esound. Uses esound in the API • Action: • Possibly replace with something using accessibility hooks?

  36. What wasn't removed • gnome-help • gnome-program • authentication dialog • GtkFileChooser vfs backend • gnome_icon_lookup()

  37. Solutions • No really good solutions • Some half-solutions • XSETTINGS • libgnomevfsui • rearrange the dependency chain • No good ideas on the desktop integration issue

  38. Conclusions • Going to continue with our deprecation of gnome-libs • Build upon the current half-solutions • This was harder than expected!

  39. Questions?

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