Re: [AD] Proposed changes for Allegro 5 (6?)

[Laurence Withers <lwithers@xxxxxxxxxx>]

In reply to Bob <ohannessian@xxxxxxxxxx>:
>http://pages.infinit.net/voidstar/newalleg.txt

Well:

 - load_sample() and load_bitmap() both already exist,
 - dropping things like zbuffer/p3d/blenders: why? As long as they are
   in separate object files they won't be pulled in if necessary.
 - save_font(): can people not use the Allegro Fonts addon?
 - packfiles: I agree with removing encryption, and with moving 
   compression to be separate to the actual packfile routines, but we
   should provide the current compression scheme because it is quite 
   fast and loads of people use it.
 - network: why not use something like libnet?
 - dynamic loading of modules: this would work fine on i386 (with 
   stonewheel), but not on anything else. So at best, we couldn't rely 
   on it being available.

As to dropping DOS support, I do understand (really I do :-) ), but so
many people use the DJGPP/Allegro this could be a really big mistake.
However, there is no reason to write something like this in the docs:

 LOCK_FUNCTION() and LOCK_VARIABLE() only need to be used if you ever 
 plan to port your program to DOS. If you don't, then all other 
 platforms that Allegro supports are reentrant, so this memory locking
 isn't needed.

This way, the DOS port doesn't need to get in the way of the other
ports.

Bye for now,
-- 
Laurence Withers, lwithers@xxxxxxxxxx
                http://www.lwithers.demon.co.uk/

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