Subject: FVWM: Re: fvwm language, swing, python

From: "Michael Corrieri" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 1 May 1998 11:31:41 -0600

-----Original Message-----
From: Brady Montz <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked] <[email-masked]>
Date: Thursday, April 30, 1998 9:19 PM
Subject: Re: FVWM: fvwm language

>"Michael Corrieri" <[email-masked]> writes:
>
>> Is there any consideration of java as the language for the fvwm? Our =
>> company would make great use of such a feature.
>>
>> The entire industry seems to be waiting for something like this. I could
=
>> see a Java based Windows Manager quickly becoming the de facto standard.
>>
>> With the Java VM the windows manager could become platform independent.
>>
>> Sorry to jump in, and I won't do it again. Just a suggestion.
>>
>> Michael Corrieri
>> Imagine Sofware Corporation
>> [email-masked]
>
>I'd like to make the point that java is not the only platform independant
>language out there. Python and tcl in particular have strong
constituencies.
>
>Also, as far as I know the discussion so far is about various degress of an
>extension language, not rewriting fvwm entirely in a new language. And even
if
>we did, I don't know if we would want to use awt (or tk) for the graphical
>components of fvwm (and I don't know, but kinda doubt, that awt allows for
the
>gory X stuff a window manager needs, like reparenting windows).
>
>--
> Brady Montz
> [email-masked]

Python I would consider a good second choice. I can understand why rewriting
fvwm in java would not be practical. Python is powerful, supported by many
programmers, and well documented. Pretty straightforward.

Just for the record, the next release of the JDK (1.2) will incorporate the
JFC(aka swing), which is designed for precisely this. I really think a Java
windows manager will be forthcoming after everyone gets their hands on the
swing components (yes, swing can reparent windows). I could easily see this
as a new standard. Remember what sun had hoped for NeWS? But Java is free.

I have great interest in aiding the development of a Java X manager, but
would not want to splinter things even further. I would not start up such a
project for that reason.

Fvwm with python scripting would be a very attractive (and understandable)
combination. That would be very likable and livable.

--
Visit the official FVWM web page at <URL:http://www.hpc.uh.edu/fvwm/>.
To unsubscribe from the list, send "unsubscribe fvwm" in the body of a
message to [email-masked].
To report problems, send mail to [email-masked].

---

From: Brad Giaccio <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 1 May 1998 14:36:51 -0400 (EDT)

True the next version of jdk is going to have swing built in but from my
experience in the last few months using swing, it is to buggy and to
unstable to be used for a wm.  This due to the fact that sun doesn't seem
to be activelly fixing bugs in its code, instead it is waiting for the
developers who find the bugs to fix them and submit there fixes.  So
granted swing does make java better it is still to buggy for someone to
rely on for something as important as their desktop.

> combination. That would be very likable and livable.

--- There are two kinds of knowledge, you either know the answer or
			you know where to find it
		      -Kane, Johnson, and anonymous