Re: [boost] Re: [gui] The Big Picture [and wxWidgets]

From: Beman Dawes (bdawes_at_[hidden])
Date: 2005-01-02 08:39:24

At 08:06 PM 1/1/2005, Matt S Trentini wrote:

 >What I'm suggesting (though not very clearly!) is that we work together
 >to make wxWidgets 3.x.  Maybe we call it boost-gui.  Or boost-wxgui.
 >Whatever.
 >
 >We can leverage off the huge body of existing GUI code that they have
 >while helping to redesign the API's/design to "modernise" the library.
 >
 >It's always hard trying to get two seperate groups of people working
 >toward a common goal but in this case it seems that our interests are
 >heading along similar paths...
 >
 >What do people think?  Is it worth starting to open channels to see if
 >such a collaboration is possible?  Do we want a collaboration or do we
 >want more stringent control?  If we were to collaborate what would be
 >the guidelines (license, decision making, ownership etc)?  Do we think
 >the wxWidgets devs are the right ones to be collaborating with?

Since Boost is an effort of individuals without much formal organization, I 
don't think Boost and wxWidgets can or should collaborate in the way that 
two more formal organizations might collaborate, with written agreements, a 
budget, and that sort of thing.

Collaboration can take place, however, if Boosters join the appropriate 
wxWidgets list, and contribute their expertise in C++ and Boost to the 
wxWidgets effort, and occasionally report back on the Boost list describing 
progress or requesting Boost features or fixes to help the wxWidgets 
effort.

If it comes to pass that wxWidgets morphs into modern C++ with Boost 
compatible licensing, collaboration might increase and the WxWindows folks 
might decide to submit wxWidgets to Boost. But even if submission to Boost 
never happens, both the Boost and wxWidgets communities will benefit if 
wxWidgets is modernized.

The above isn't meant to discourage those who would like to build a Boost 
GUI library from scratch. But that is an exceedingly difficult task, and in 
the meantime I think we need to stay open to solutions invented elsewhere.

--Beman