Re: GNUstep roadmap (was Re: [Suggestion] GNUstep-test for quality control)

[Philip Mötteli]

Am 26.10.2003 um 14:12 schrieb Pete French:
> > 4. CoreFoundation is almost ported to Linux.
>
> Maybe its the fact that I have flu which makes me think "uh-oh" when I 
> see
> this, but doesnt CF give you all the things that base does ? i.e. 
> theres
> a CFString and an CFArray ?

Actually, I don't know exactly, what GSArray is specifically for. As 
far as I see, it is a real class. CFArray therefore is a non OO 
implementation of an array and it serves as the base for a real 
NSArray. NSArray is mostly a wrapper for a CFArray.


> ...and under OSX those are interchangeable.

Not everything is interchangeable. If I recall that right, even the 
majority is not.


> So I can use a CFArray anywhere
> that I can use an NSArray, and vice-versa. A pointers to a CFArray is 
> also
> a pointer to an NSArray.
>
> But if some well meaning soul goes and ports CF to Linux and then 
> people try
> and mix this with GNUstep then it isnt going to work, because a 
> pointer to
> a CFArray isnt a pointer to an NSArray anymore.

It could be. Depending, on how this kind soul implements it.


> CF in GNUstep needs to work as it does in OSX.

I do agree with that. But I would like to repeat here, that when we got 
it into the minds of those programmers, that GS is a viable possibility 
to open the Windows and Linux market afterwards, that they would try 
not to use CF. The few moments, where Cocoa doesn't offer an 
alternative to CF, we have already a possibility in GS. I mean, look e. 
g. into the OmniFrameworks: The CF part is very, very small and easely 
replacable. But as long as the MOSX people don't think, that GS is 
something usable, they won't consider it in their planning.


> Which includes the toll free
> bridging. I think we either need to implement our own CF as wrappers 
> round the
> exisiting GNUstepo base objects (which is a nice easy way to do it) or 
> else
> rip out our own base and replace it with the CF stuff surely ?

You're basically right.


Re
Phil