Express Windows and CLIM

[Stephen L. Nicoud <snicoud@bcsaic>]

    Date: Thu, 17 May 90 18:02:35 EDT
    From: Andrew Ressler <uw-beaver!ames!scubed!oiscola!aressler>

    I'm curious what people think about the following:

    Do People want Express Windows to evolve into a Public Domain
    version of CLIM or at least to be more compatible or do they prefer
    it for now to be more like the original Dynamic Windows?

My main requirement is user-interface compatibility/portability.  CLIM
would appear to give me a very clean way to do this.  My use of Express
Windows has been, so far, strictly temporary in nature.  A stopgap until
CLIM.

I am concerned, however, about the cost of CLIM.  Not so much for me as
for my (potential) users.  The more they have to buy, the less
attractive my systems become.  To that end, a public domain CLIM would
really help.  The fact that EW uses CLX/PCL makes it desirable on this
very point.

    If the answer is that you would like it to evolve to be more like CLIM
    are you willing to help add functionality to make it that way?

Aye, there's the rub.  While I can certainly offer lots of
encouragement, commitment of personal assistance isn't something I can
promise.

    Or would you be interested in funding furthur development of EW similar
    to the GNU software?

I don't think I can sell my management on providing the entire funding
for a public domain CLIM.  Perhaps if you made a proposal for funding
that involved other corporations/institutions,... perhaps.  Can you
estimate time/cost for such a venture?

    What major features of DW do you wish it supported that is doesn't now.
	1. format-graph ?? for example
	2. ????

Our Symbolics-based systems make extensive use of the
FORMAT-GRAPH-FROM-ROOT function.  Our non-Symbolics based system use
their own graphing code or do without a graphing capability.  It would
be nice to have FORMAT-GRAPH-FROM-ROOT available for all systems, since
this is such a universally needed feature.

    What major features do you not care about?

    How important is a small compact window system? (i.e. takes up less than
    2 megabytes in your image)

Currently, size of the image is not a major concern for me.

    Thanks,
    Andrew Ressler 301-643-4526


Steve
--
Stephen L. Nicoud  <snicoud@atc.boeing.com>  uw-beaver!bcsaic!snicoud
Boeing Advanced Technology Center for Computer Sciences