Re: /* STUPID QUESTION */
Re: /* STUPID QUESTION */
- Subject: Re: /* STUPID QUESTION */
- From: Matthew Klahn <email@hidden>
- Date: Fri, 16 May 2003 08:37:59 -0500
On Thursday, May 15, 2003, at 09:01 PM, John Davidorff Pell wrote:
DISCLAIMER: The following is a stupid question. If you do not want to
read and respond respectfully, please do not read. Thank you.
Why can't apple just make the aqua window server understand the X
protocol? I know this isn't the easiest thing, but wouldn't that solve
like all of the probs w/ X11.app? (assuming it doesn't introduce many
other bad ones) does anyone out there know if this is possible, if
they're planning on it?
Functionally, that's exactly what they're doing.
Well, yes, in a sense this is true. However, one thing that is lacking
is that X11 windows are still not 'native' Cocoa or Carbon windows.
While this won't matter to users if X11 is the only application being
run, but some other applications (like CodeTek VirtualDesktop)
manipulate other applications' windows, something we can't do very well
with X11 windows due to their non-standard implementation.
I think that the original question is attempting to ask: why not just
extend the Carbon/Cocoa APIs to include the X Window APIs as well, and
the Aqua window manager include the X Window server API? Well, I think
they are taking the correct approach; rather than adding to the
complexity of the window server and the Carbon/Cocoa window classes,
they are basically providing a "translation layer" that acts as a glue
between X11 and Aqua. I think this is the right approach because:
1) It doesn't increase the complexity of an already complex system
2) People who don't use X11 don't 'pay' for X11 in terms of performance
or stability issues (which always occur with code complexity)
3) It's much more maintainable by the engineers when two simpler
systems work in tandem than one large system
Anyway, it's not a stupid question at all. But, it's one that Apple has
obviously thought about and answered. :)
Having said all of that, I do wish that they would make X11 windows
conform to the Carbon or Cocoa APIs so that we could get more of
CodeTek VirtualDesktop working with X11... :)
--
Matthew S. Klahn
Software Architect, CodeTek Studios, Inc.
http://www.codetek.com
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