Cairo backend (Was: backart - default backend?)

[Fred Kiefer]

Banlu Kemiyatorn wrote:
> On Fri, 18 Feb 2005 00:23:06 +0100, Guido Schimmels <__guido__@web.de> wrote:
>
>
> > And finally, it would be o so cool if GNUstep could beat the competition on the 
> > cairo/glitz thing to the punch.
> > I know, lack of developers. But a gnustep-backend should be a lot easier to do 
> > than hacking it into the thin layer over the Xlibs called Gtk+.
>
> I will try to make cairo back to compile again _after_ they can
> stabilize their APIs.
> They are discussing new APIs right now and quite interesting.

I tried to use the cairo backend about a week ago and even with the 
current cairo stuff it still compiles and works as bad as when we stoped 
developing it :-(
On un-accelerated X it is horrible slow (OK, here it is just me not 
getting my nvidia driver configured). But whats worse is that images 
never worked and that there is still a problem with text display.

I am not following the cairo discussion list, so I don't know about new 
interfaces, but if you think they are worthwhile, I would be willing to 
join you and give it another try. I am hoping that the cairo backend is 
the future for GNUstep.


> For now the simplest way to
> be able to use cairo's api directly in GNUstep code is by adding a
> special method to
> cairo-back to export cairo context from the back, that's 3 lines of
> code but it would introduce an
> unacceptable dependency, thus it may be acceptable one day but I can't
> judge that.

I don't think this is the way we should go. Even when in five years time 
the cairo backend has become the accepted default backend for GNUstep we 
should try and keep a clear interface between GUI and back.

Fred