Re: FLTK and Ada?

[Freejack <user@nospam.net>]

On Fri, 15 Aug 2003 07:18:14 -0400, Preben Randhol wrote:

> David Holm wrote:
>> Then why are you promoting GtkAda when you should be promoting Xlib?
> 
> It was you that drag in the debate of embedded systems. Not me neither
> the OP. The OP has not answered my question why GtkAda wasn't right.
> That some toolkit can make a executable a bit smaller (20kb is probably
> only a hello world app and nothing real)[*] is irrelevant in the
> majority of circumstances. But if the need is for embedded then by all
> means make a binding for that.
> 
> 
> [*] # The "core" (the "hello" program compiled & linked with a static
> FLTK library using gcc on a 486 and then stripped) is 110K. ref:
> http://www.linuxdevices.com/links/LK9171411600.html
 
GTKAda is a fine toolkit. I dont have a problem with it.

I'm just looking for something more lightweight. I do not want or need
half of the stuff that GTK throws in. And a lighter toolkit usually(
although not necessarily always ) is easier to work with.

Take for example the folks at radsoft.net ( or rixstep.com ). They're C
junkies through and through, but they keep thier GUIs small, and
relatively simple.

If I was building in a lot of features, then I might use GTKAda. Like I
said, it's good at what it does. But I'm the kinda guy who would rather
do a little extra work to keep the application lean and stable(such as
writing my own binding), rather than just using the nearest all in one
solution.

Aaaarg. Friggin GUI toolkit debates are about as bad as the perennial
Emacs vs Vi flamefest. I'm tired of listening to zealots absolutely
proscribe thier one true way of doing things.

Some software engineering rules of thumb that I go by...

	1. Theres more than one way to do it.
	2. Different domains use different methods.
	3. Reuse is either a boon or a bane.
	4. Read the friggin manual.

FLTK, despite it being written in C++, seems to have actually been
written well. Probably wouldn't use it in a critical application. For
small and simple desktop applications, it would seem to be ideal.

However, if I was tackling something as large as the Ximian/Evolution
suite, then I would probably go with GTKAda.

Hope I clarified things a bit.

Freejack