Subject: Scripting, formal docs and reliability
From: Mike Nordell (tamlin@algonet.se)
Date: Sat Jan 27 2001 - 21:18:20 CST
I just recalled the discussion about scripting. Much of it was a debate of
what language, or _type_ of language, we should use IIRC. What struck me now
is that we to be even able to support such an environment we *need* to
refactor some stuff. Big time.
Let's take the simple matter of inputting one character into a document. You
just position the cursor where you want the insertion point (IP) to be and
type away.
Now, how would you do this in a (any) scripting language? You'd position the
cursor at a specific IP and tell the the WP (AbiWord) to "insert these
characters".
That's really basic, noone can really argue against this with any substance.
But, look at our current design. Do *you* know how to "just hook in" this
scripting engine and make it work? I don't think so.
This is (yet again) a major reason that we must (not should, *must*)
redesign the input handlign regarding documents, and that a View is a View,
a Document is a Document and then we will have to add a "controller" to do
this kind of stuff.
I don't know if this is the right time to start this discussion (again), but
the longer we wait the more painful and harder it will be.
Comments?
/Mike - don't cc
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