Re: [Javaweb-people] Jeffery Morgan's Java-GNOME project

[Nic Ferrier]

>>> Per Bothner <address@hidden> 12-Jul-01 12:03:36 AM >>>

   However. the Gnome-GCJ project looks rather dormant, 
   and if Gnome-GCJ [sic, did you mean Java-Gnome?] 
   is further along and active I'd rather have that.  We always 
   have the option of replacing the low-level wrappers with 
   CNI later.

Java-Gnome does work. Also it is entirely mechanical. I'm sure it
would be quite fun to add a config switch for --with-cni. I'll mention
it to Jeff.


   Because of GCJ's integration with C++ it may be worth 
   considering a Java wrapper based on "gnome--" (the Gnome 
   C++ api).  That might make it more difficult to use other 
   Java implementations.  In any case it would be nice if 
   gnome/java (java-gnome or gnome-gjc) where compatible 
   with gnome--, though that may be too complicated.

I'll mention that too.


   What is more important is how clean the Java API is.  
   I can't comment on that either ...

It's just the C API converted directly into Java. It's a completly
mechanical process with no human interaction involved.


   What I think would make sense is a Gnome API for Java.  
   This should (at least potentially) provide access to all the 
   Gnome functionality, and be as close to the "Gnome model"
   (i.e. how things are done in Gnome using other languages) 
   as possible.  

Java-GNOME looks to me to be a good way of achieving this, though
Jeff himself is doubtfull. I think it would work best with CNI, I
suspect GCC could inline a lot of wrapper methods.

The GNOME/GDK stuff is "class" based anyway. Jeff's java version just
makes java classes where there are classes in GNOME/GDK.

It seems simple enough, I don't know much about GNOME/GDK but I
understood basically how to do things, as much as I do with Swing
anyway.


   We should then implement java.awt using the 
   Gnome classes (but using peer classes where possible
   to separate out java.awt from gnome dependencies).

Right. I'm not sure I understand the issue about peers here.


Nic