Re: libgnustep-base split proposal

[Riccardo]

Hey all,


On Sunday, February 19, 2006, at 06:27 AM, Andrew Ruder wrote:

> Objective-C is an incredible programming language, but right now the
> most crippling factor for its widespread use is the lack of a "standard
> library."  Right now there are two prevalent options to utilizing Obj-C
> in your program: GNUstep and OS X.  Obviously the biggest problem with
> OS X is that it is not free.  GNUstep, however, brings along a whole
> lot of other problems: crazy GNUstep/ directory structure, daemons,
> config files, etc.. etc..  A typical developer not familiar with GNUstep
> sees these things and runs the other direction.
this triggers some thoughts in my mind and some desires I have since 
long. On the other hand it uncover fears. Thus in this email I 
essentially don't take a position. Although it could be seen as I have 
one, if some conditions are met.
Personally, the only think I have against this split is complication. I 
want to retain the current set-up for the typical user install (even 
more personally I'd desire a back/gui merge so that only two packages 
would exist: Foundation and AppKit). I also fear it could create 
inefficiencies int he code and generally I do like every much that ALL 
gnustep libraries stay in one tree and not  spread around.
ON the other side, I must admit that more than once I'd like to use 
objective-c as a "normal OOP" language, using basic stuff as collections 
and strings. POC for example, has some of these basic classes. Using gcc 
obj-c I have nothing. And I don't want all the big base library,daemons, 
etc. In that case I just need a "library" to install in /usr/lib if I 
can explain myself. Maybe even be able to making static binaries...
Thus if I had such a small "standard library" small and lean and even 
usable with POC (or mimicking some of what POC already has) I could use 
obj-c much more freely and also untied from GCC.
We could extract some of our extensions to a library, clean up some of 
the classes to make small and lean objects (not NS* stuff) and then base 
the NS* stuff on them.
That is just my 2 cents,

have fun,
  Riccardo