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List:       kde-freeqt
Subject:    [freeqt] Open KDE Initiative Proposal
From:       Avus <top249 () g26 ! ethz ! ch>
Date:       1998-12-02 17:53:02
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Open KDE Initiative Proposal

One of the die-hard prejudices concerning KDE is that it isn't
'flexible' enough, with respect to other programming languages, window
manager, toolkits etc.
In the current discussion of the main arguments against Qt is that when
KDE becomes very widespread (some would say de-facto standard), so does
Qt. And as Qt costs money for proprietary programmes, this may be bad
for the adoption of Linux in the commercial world. Harmony should
therefor play the role of a "charity" for shareware authors, to promote
the market for (cheap) shareware.

This idea is based on the wrong assumption  that KDE application == Qt
application. It's true that KDE itself (libraries, basic applications)
makes use of Qt, but this will never be a problem as all of this is free
software.

KDE compliant applications, however, can of course use other toolkits,
they only have to follow the KDE standards. Prominent examples are
StarOffice 5 and the upcoming Wordperfect 8. 

The Open KDE Initiative would try to promote those aspects of KDE that
are not part of the 'standard' distribution, like

o other KDE compliant window manager than KWM (currently Blackbox)
o - " - file manager
o support libs for other toolkits, following the example of K/Tk (for
TCL/Tk). Especially gtk and V.
o gtk KDE theme, KDE Pluggable Look&Feel for Java ("Java Swing theme")
o Corba interaction based on the KOM/OpenParts object model, to be used
with other toolkits
o More language bindings for the KDE libs 

The Initiantive could present the already available alternatives on a
web site for end users, while the developer information would be
available at developer.kde.org.
Especially in the case of Corba objects examples and documentation for
the usage from other toolkits would be very important.
In addition to that, OpenKDE could define a set of KDE features that a
programme has to implement to be called KDE compliant.

Please let me know if this sounds like a sensible suggestion to you.

Regards

Avus

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