RE: [TCLCORE] TIP #180: Add a Megawidget Support Core Package

[Jeff H. <je...@Ac...>]

Michael McLennan wrote:
> TIP #50 was voted on and accepted, and it clearly states that 
> Jeff Hobbs would lead the effort.  Many messages on this list 

To clarify, those were DGP's words on the TIP that said I
would lead the effort.  I was clear on willing to assist,
and I was hoping to make a general mechanism for the core
to have modules (packages, extensions, whatever) that could
be dropped into a directory and would compile with the core.

That part I actually have somewhat done (I haven't quite
perfected selective inclusion/exclusion, it's all or nothing
for what's in the dir now).  I think I even tested itcl in
doing this (it was many months ago).

> To me, TIP #50 was always a half-a-loaf solution.  It 
> included [incr Tcl] but removed its killer app, [incr Tk].  

FWIW, even as an itcl user, I was never hot on itk.  It took
a lot of memory and wasn't the design I would choose to make
megawidgets.  We've had this discussion before though, many
years ago in fact.

I haven't explored Damon's APIs enough to comment there yet,
but the whole idea needs to be revisited.  I think that
iwidgets and itk have moved to secondary status on the widget
set usage preferences as numerous other widget sets have been
developed.  They are "easier" to develop for and/or have
different design considerations that users prefer.

I don't know if one exists that is the "killer" megawidget
implementation, but I do think that there are some things that
can be better exposed to the user that would assist any
megwidget package author, like option management.  I see that
Damon addresses this in part, but I'm not sure about all the
other bits that go around it.

Jeff