OpenEuphoria

2. Re: Euphoria and Windows

• Posted by Derek Parnell <ddparnell at bigpond.com> Jun 06, 2003
• 381 views

----- Original Message -----
From: <g.malagnini at tin.it>
To: "EUforum" <EUforum at topica.com>
Subject: Euphoria and Windows


>
> Windows and Euphoria
>
> Being Euphoria programming system strategically oriented to support itself
as multi platform product, it  cannot provide and support features that,
even if capable of  improving the effectiveness of the program for one
platform, cannot provide same results for the other supported platforms.
>
> This is the case of Windows, where since years external developers had to
propose to the user community additional features to complete, improve and
optimise the possibilities offered by Euphoria.
>
> The major examples are the editor, the Win32Lib and the IDE.
>
> According with my understanding the situation is today much better than a
couple of years ago:
> - the Euphoria project team addresses in a more direct way Windows users
to utilize the mentioned features.
> - Win32Lib and IDE have become products that groups of developers support,
assuring the continuity of the old code and its updating with the proposal
coming from several sources.
>
> This is a good result, but I would propose to extend the efforts to
provide an even more suitable product for the Windows oriented developers,
especially for the new ones.
>
> Even if, as I mentioned before, the situation is significantly improved
today, the new user has still to
> cope with a set of problems before deciding if Euphoria is a good solution
for him in the Windows environment:
> - he has to download three products, with separated documentations to
evaluate (part of it can be printed, part is available on line only, terms
can slightly differ sometime).
> - these products are first installed separately; then the problem of how
to merge them comes up.
> - All products have a set of libraries, to be merged somehow
> - three different editors are available, leaving up to the user to decide
which one to use
> - the three products will provide new releases independently each other,
leaving some concerns to the user for the compatibility problem and the
likely different updating procedures
> - .............
>
> My proposal is the following: the three project teams should agree to make
a unique Windows Euphoria package available for the interested users.
>
> One of these teams (or a fourth one, if they prefer) should be responsible
to merge the three complementary product in one, avoid any duplication  (one
installation and updating procedure, one installation environment, one set
of documentation, only the most suitable editor, etc.), and to test it for
the distribution.
>
> This could be compared with the existing packages of "Linux distribution."
>
> This would certainly would assure to the potentially users an easier
product evaluation, an almost immediate test of its capabilities, an higher
degree of acceptance and, as consequence, a fast expansion of Euphoria.
>

No doubt that this is all good and true. But the cost in terms of
commitment, time, and cash makes it difficult to justify the amount of work
needed to establish and maintain such an organised effort. The work would
not be spread around too many people who could absorb it. Current we have a
few individuals who are working in their (all too short) spare time. What
organisation would be prepared to take on the coordination? RDS? Not
likely - Euphoria is too time consuming as it is for them. Some other
group - for absolutely no reward - not likely.

Still, we can hope for a White Knight, I suppose.

--
Derek