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List:       fop-dev
Subject:    Re: toward reunification
From:       Keiron Liddle <keiron () aftexsw ! com>
Date:       2003-04-28 5:43:18
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Hi All,

Sorry about not being able to do much lately. I understand how 
complicated, in particular, the layout is and how difficult it is to get 
going on it.

I have been working slowly on improving the current layout. Simplifying 
the way it works and handles all the various situations in the way that 
I hve outlined previously. It is looking quite promising unfortunately I 
have not found the time to really get going on it and get things in good 
order. The good news is that it is only effecting the layoutmgr code and 
other parts are untouched.

I realise that it really needs to get a good approach before we can 
start doing the smaller details and this approach needs to accommodate 
the future needs. This is what really makes it more difficult and slow.

Hopefully I can find a bit of time to get the process rolling.

Keiron

On Wednesday, April 23, 2003, at 06:53  PM, Victor Mote wrote:

> FOP compatriots:
>
> I shared more than a little of Joerg's frustration in his recent posting
> about trying to get going in trunk development again. I have been able 
> to
> spend some quality time walking through code with my debugger, and my 
> work
> on the doc has helped some of the design concepts sink in better as 
> well, so
> I am getting more confident about being able to jump in and help for 
> real.
> Here are some issues for discussion.
>
> Issue 1 -- Project Focus
> I think I jumped into this project just as serious efforts were being 
> made
> to discourage new development on the maintenance branch. This was 
> rightly
> perceived as a dilution of resources. It has taken me nearly six months 
> to
> see another dilution of resources -- new development on the trunk! The 
> only
> thing that the redesign is really supposed to touch is the layout. So my
> thoughts about working on fonts are misplaced. Fonts and Avalonization 
> might
> need to be done before 1.0, but AFAIK, they don't need to be done before
> reunification. This difference is so important to this project, that I 
> offer
> it as a proposition to be voted upon:
>
> Resolved: Rather than focusing on a 1.0 release, our efforts should be
> focused on a 0.21 release from the trunk that is as good as 0.20.5. New
> features, whether in the maintenance branch or the trunk, whether for 
> the
> user's benefits or for our's, should be abandoned unless they have an
> immediate payback toward a 0.21 release. Only after stabilizing 0.21 so 
> that
> our users can safely move to it should we start adding features. This
> implies that, whenever possible, we should be working on trunk layout 
> code.
>
> Issue 2 -- Unstable Code
> We know that we are working with unstable code, which presents some 
> risks.
> First, with stable code, if a hacker like me messes it up, it will be
> obvious almost immediately, and can easily be rolled back. That won't be
> true in our situation. Second, unstable implies that some of the code 
> might
> be working well or finished. Most of us don't understand what is going 
> on
> the layout code as well as Keiron. I've spent a little time in there, 
> and I
> frankly don't have a clear idea of what works and what doesn't, what is
> stable & what is not. So I really have two choices: 1) wade in and start
> hacking away, perhaps at cross-purposes of the big picture, or 2) have a
> "manager" pass a task off to me that is reasonably well-defined, and 
> that
> fits well into the big picture, then, when that is done, give another, 
> etc.
> I can do either one, but the second one makes more sense to me. I would
> naturally look to Keiron for this, if he is willing. I am not looking 
> for
> something like "get line justification working", but more like "take 
> class
> Xyz.java and make method abc() return the correct word-spacing to 
> justify
> the input line -- here is a test file."
>
> The good news is that it is probable that after a couple of cycles of 
> this,
> I would be able to find the next task on my own.
>
> I guess what I am saying is that I am willing to follow if someone is
> willing to lead.
>
> Victor Mote (mailto:vic@outfitr.com)
> 2025 Eddington Way
> Colorado Springs, Colorado 80916
> Voice +1 (719) 622-0650
> Fax   +1 (720) 293-0044


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