Re: Gnome Desktop Language

["John (J5) Palmieri" <johnp redhat com>]

On Thu, 2004-12-09 at 09:06, Michael Anckaert wrote:
> Hello all,
> I'm new to this list, just subscribed today. I've been using gnome for
> a long time now, started with v1.4.
> As you may have figured out, this mail is about a Gnome desktop language.
> 
> After reading an (old) article on zdnet.co.uk, I heard about this
> subject and decided to see how this discussion has evolved in the
> Gnome community.
> 
> Unfortunately, this is the only thread I found in the archive. 
> http://mail.gnome.org/archives/desktop-devel-list/2004-March/msg00593.html
> 
> My personal favorite is Java. I've been programming java for a year or
> so and have really grown to like it.Mono isn't really a candidate for
> me, as it's to much a M$ product.

Look at the gnome platform bindings: http://www.gtk.org/bindings.html. 
These languages have agreed to certain rules such as API stability.  In
addition it has been stated that Python programs can be considered for
inclusion in Official Gnome if any are proposed. 

> In the thread I read in the archives, Java isn't seen as a candidate.
> I think this isn't true. Java is a very good candidate to become the
> official Gnome Desktop Language.

It would need a robust free implementation and people need to write
compelling GNOME apps in it.  No one is just going to say hey lets make
Java the official language of Gnome just because they think it is a good
language.

> Instead of waiting for Sun or IBM to release their JDK under an oss
> license, the Gnome community should contact Sun or IBM and try to
> convice them to release Java or the JDK under an oss license.

Many in the OSS community have.  There are also efforts like GNU
classpath but it is a hard problem that is unlikely to be solved
quickly.

> Anyone with common sence should realise that incoporating java into
> Gnome can only be a good thing. 

I'll believe it when I see it.  I've seen Java incorporated into many
things where it did not seem to make much sense.  But if people start
producing killer apps for GNOME with it then it might make sense. 
Simply putting it in for no reason other than, "it could be great"
really doesn't cut it.

> For both the Java and Gnome community.
> As things are going, Java will be dead in a couple of years and .Net
> will controll most of the software around.

I doubt this to be true though .Net does seem to be growing Java doesn't
seem to be shrinking from what I have seen.  I do not share this picture
of doom and gloom.

> Using Java as the Gnome desktop language can change this. It will make
> Gnome development more accisible to others, thus creating more
> applications for Gnome and increasing the use of Java.

It is already accessible through the Java bindings and the many other
Languages.  Java is already part of the Platform binding release.

> As said before, Mono isn't really a candidate for me. I think that
> there is to many risc that Microsoft will slow down or halt Mono (and
> Gnome) development with lawsuits and such. I haven't read much about
> the subject so I can't really give valid reasons/facts for this.

The jury is still out on Mono but it does have a few good apps for Gnome
already without having to be declared an official GNOME language.  If
you are afraid of it then you need to start writing Java apps for
GNOME.  In the end it is about what gets the job done.

--
J5