On Thu, 23 Nov 2000, Allan Rae wrote:
Dear Allan,
Let me try to summarize some of your points:
1) Being independent is better, since you'll potentially last longer in
a changing environment
2) Different GUI frontends creates competition, and thus more innovation
3) Different frontends attract different developers, that might otherwise
not be there
4) GUII is a better design
5) GUII gives better code, because it's reviewed by all front-ends
6) GUII makes everybody happy because everybody can choose the frontend
they prefer, and they don't have to install libraries they don't want
7) Then you spent some time to explain why it's not technically restraining
to do a GUII application.
In short, you try to argue that GUII is worth it.
Nobody really takes exception against your points, except for 6 and 7,
which Matthias objected against earlier.
Indirectly, you acknowledge that Matthias is right about one thing:
GUII takes a long time.
The basic question then remains: Is GUII worth it?
To answer this question, you have to look at the proposed advantages of
GUII a second time. You have to look at how much each is worth, how
much it costs in terms of effort, and whether it is possible to achieve
the same goal in a different way.
My personal opinion is that I don't think your arguments for GUII weigh
enough against the claim: If GUII has dropped, you could create more value
for the same effort.
You seem sceptical that it is not possible to build a long-time
maintainable and technical sound program without GUII. That's obviously
not true. In fact, history can argue that the other way is more likely,
because complexity is the main thing to avoid in a technically sound
program. GUII spells complexity.
Much of the value that you claim GUII gives can also be achieved by
cheaper ways. In particular, there is nothing that says that you should
not do a model/view separation in a mono-toolkit application anyway!
Please distuingish between GUII and model/view separation. These things
are not the same. Both are worthwile technical goals. GUII, as we know,
is much harder.
And there is certainly many benefits you get by sticking to one toolkit
that can not be achieved as easily with GUII. So you have to weigh the
pros and cons on a weight. I think Matthias might be right that at this
point in time, the weight is in the favour of dropping GUII if the goal is
to achieve maximum merit for the effort.
But you can only do this in practice if the developers agree, because
otherwise you loose the developers that have to make the effort.
Therefore it is relevant informally to ask all the developers:
Would you be still be enthusiastic to participate in LyX development if
GUII was dropped and focus was on Qt as the main toolkit?
Greets,
Asger
