Re: [HWX] Some remarks already

[Graciliano M. P. \(V. Sites\) <gm...@vi...>]

> I downloaded the current alpha release today on my linux box and haven't
> bothered yet to try to install it there, since you advertise it as a
> Win32 thing. I'll try it at home on my WinXP box asap. However, I have
> some remarks/questions already:
About the Win32 version, you can compile HWXperl on Linux too. Just get the
module source from CVS. It need some changes for the linux version that I
noly made for Win32, just look at Changes.HWX and see what need to be done
for linux. The bigger problem will be with the extra modules and wxPerl,
since it need wxWindows compiled. If you can help in the linux part will be
very good. I have a linux here, got one PC just for HWX on linux, but I
don't have time to see this now! Realy don't have!!!

> 1. Why is the project called HWX? the Wx part is clear...why the 'H'?
Yes, WX comes from wxWindows, H, well, I put because in the last thing that
I have developed I used the H (Hyper) to start it (HPL). Maybe Hyper is to
much, but I need to put something in the place of the H! ;-)
But I think that HWX is a good name.

> 2. Where is the documentation? There is *no* code documentation in the
> HWX and GML modules at all. How are new developers supposed to
> understand what it does?
HWX has only 2 month of life! I think that first we need to develope it, and
after create the pod, since during the development time a lot of thing can
change in the structure (is a new thing, not very defined yet). I started to
create the files of GML and HWX with the pod, but I cut it off since I
always need to rewrite them!

> 3. Is there a specification of GML? I've seen some quick examples in
> your postings, but there must be more.
It goes to have! But first it need to be more defined, stable.

> 4. You refer to HPL. Maybe that is where the 'H' comes from, but I don't
> have the slightest idea what it is...can you enlighten me?
Yes.

> 5. I personally feel that it's unwise to distribute a modified version
> of Perl. Why -except from the reason you mentioned to be able to use the
> dotref- would anyone want to use this Perl version?
HWXperl doesn't have for plus only the DotRef. It has the tool PerlBin, this
need to recompile the binarys of Perl to be enabled, and are a very useful
tool!

> This would imply (I think) that anyone who wants to use any part of the
> HWX IDE should download HWXperl, and throw away their existing perl
> installation. A lot of people like their distribution as it is, and
> won't bother using HWX's modified Perl.
Well, you can be right in one part. But HWXperl is to run HWX apps, it will
work in the enverioment HWX, this enverioment need to be equal in any OS,
Perl can change a lot in different OS. The idea of create HWXperl is to have
a Perl designed for PORTABLE GUI applications. And HWXperl is not only for
developers, is for the enduser, that doesn't understand anything of Perl,
compilers, modules, anything. It will just install HWXperl, like a DirectX,
to run the App. The instal tool of HWX apps will see if the machine have HWX
installed, if not it install it from the internet, and after this the app.

>
> I think it would be wiser to enable anyone to use the different parts of
> HWX's IDE *without* forcing them to use another Perl and let them decide
> for themselves if they want to use the new interpreter.
Well, I'm doing this too, the DotRef for example, I don't use inside the
modules, it will be used just for the end user. But the problem is: is very
simple to use the dotref to control the objects, and I think that any
developer of HWX apps will use it, and when the app goes out, the end user
need DotRef too to run the app. But if a developer want to make a HWX app
that works on any Perl version, it just use the basic things, that exist in
the other Perl too, and it's free to install HWX, GML and wxPerl in any
Perl. But the non-hwx-Perl that will run the HWX app, need to be configured
by someone that understand of Perl and Modules, not a normal end user. And
if you think, one of the bigger problem of Tk is this, it need to be
instaled on Perl first. And GUI was created to be a easy thing to use, and
can't be a hard thing to install, or the peoples don't use your app.

HWXperl has the tool PerlBin, to create a binary and publish your app
without the need of Perl instaled on the target machine.

> I know I'm critisizing, but I don't mean to offend you. Maybe if the
> reasons are clear to me I agree with the way it is now, but as I see it
> now, it doesn't seem logical.
I'm always open for ideas, I like what you say, you open a very good point.

What you need to know is the vision that I have for HWX apps. They need to
be very easy to be developed, and very easy to be instaled, or they can't be
portables. Perl is an amazing language, for me is the best, very easy and
let the user to be free to use the resource that it want, it let the mind
free. But Perl has a problem, it competes with languages that made a lot of
thing to turn more easy for the user with low knowledge. Perl for example,
wasn't very famous on Win32 like Linux, ActiveState made a good work, but
Perl was in "any" version of Linux, and we need to know that Perl wasn't in
any machine.

What we need to do is to enable HWXperl in any machine that want to run HWX
apps, and any user need to be enabled to install it (well, the installation
will be automatic). And our mission is bigger than just delivery a Perl with
the same resource in any OS, it need to have module for GUI. For default
Perl doesn't have anything for GUI, and is hard to get a standart perl and
turn it on a platform for GUI apps (and portable), imagine ask for each end
user, that just want to run or test the app, to do this by hand. You need to
know that the majority of users will be of end users, peoples than don't
know what is Perl. If the developer want to create a HWX app, it get HWX,
that have a lot of tools for development. The end user just get the App, it
don't need to know if it works with HWX, Perl, wxPerl, wxWindows, GML, or
anything, it just want the app.

Graciliano M. P.