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List:       kde-core-devel
Subject:    Re: What to do after 2.2?
From:       Neil Stevens <neil () qualityassistant ! com>
Date:       2001-07-13 20:56:55
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On Friday July 13, 2001 05:41, Rob Kaper wrote:
> During LinuxTag there was a discussion between the Trolls and KDE team
> regarding KDE 2.3 / 3.0 and it would probably be a good idea to start
> thinking about this now so we can walk a path as soon as 2.2 is out the
> door.

I figured we wouldn't have this out until after 2.2 is done, but here we 
go.  I've thought about this a bunch, and discussed it a bunch, so please 
bear with me as I spill out my thoughts in favor of having KDE 3 next.

* On third party developers and Backward Compatibility

As you probably remember, KDE 2 took a while to get done relative to Qt 2. 
 Qt 2 was announced in June 1999, but KDE 2 didn't come out until October 
2000.  So, while KDE 2 has only kept BC for 9 months, Qt 2 has stayed so 
for 25 months.

In that light, I think it's best to consider the KDE 2 short BC period a 
one-time mistake, and move to Qt 3 as soon as we can - after KDE 2.2.  
This way we'll catch the Qt 3 wave early, and have the possibility to keep 
BC for up to two years (assuming Qt 3 lasts as long as Qt 2).

If we explain this to the third party developers, that it was a one-time 
problem, and if we *promise* to keep KDE 3 BC a lot longer than KDE 2, 
then I think they'll understand.

Having a rich set of third party apps makes KDE better, but delaying KDE 3 
will just put us in same situation for Qt 4, that we're in now for Qt 3.

Also, I'd like to point out that apps like kvirc and psi don't wait for 
us.  They went for the next Qt without us, and probably won't ever be real 
KDE apps as a result.  I'd hate to see even more third party developers 
drop KDE support and switch to Qt this time around.

* On the benefits of Qt 3

One of KDE's strong points is its international usability.  Qt 3 will make 
it possible to use KDE in more languages.

Qt 3 has a rewritten QStyle.  KStyles need to be redone.  It'd be most 
efficient if we could do one rewrite.

Qt 3 has an improved QRegExp, that's already being used all over the KDE 
CVS.  How many copies must go in?

Qt 3 has an improved text widget, again already being used in KDE.

Qt 3 has an improved Designer and uic, which (if I recall correctly) 
eliminates the old circular dependency of Qt and kdelibs.

Qt 3 has database support.  Many KDE users need a database app, and it 
looks like we won't get one until KDE 3.  If a major DB app gets written 
for Qt 3, then it may go the way ov KVirc, and never become a true KDE app.

In a sense, it seems to be a no-win situation.  If we delay KDE 3, we'll 
lose some third party developers to Qt 3.  If we go ahead with KDE 3, 
we'll lose some third party developers to frustration.  Since we lose 
either way, let's go with the decision that benefits KDE with new features 
and languages, and minimize our losses my reassuring our third party 
developers that we'll do better next time.

If you've read this far, thanks.

-- 
Neil Stevens
neil@qualityassistant.com

Don't think of a bug as a problem.  Think of it as a call to action.

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