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Grzegorz Adam Hankiewicz wrote:
On 2004-08-30, Peter Wang <tjaden@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
... Then we need a link to a more detailed document explaining
what's going to happen with the new & old APIs issue.
Is this document meant to be included in the WIPs documentation? If
so, it could be added to the CVS like another help._tx file or
whatever, and I'll get the text from it.
It will have to be included in the WIP documentation. I volunteer Chris
to write it! Otherwise I can write something later in the week.
Also, the front page should say something about what's happening.
And disclaim AllegroPro, please!
Ah, I don't know what's happening. I guess I'm too happy with the
delete key. Besides, disclaim AllegroPro? I think it's clear that
it was started by Kroval. Some text like this perhaps?
[snip]
Err... I'd prefer something less marketing-speakish. Maybe like:
"In the past year or so, the Allegro developers decided to redesign
Allegro's API and implement it from scratch. Unfortunately, due to lack
of time, this approach did not work out. Instead, we have decided on a
different approach. The API will be redesigned in pieces and each piece
will be implemented within the current Allegro codebase. This work has
begun, and the changes will be seen from Allegro 4.4 onwards.
What does this mean for users?
1. Firstly, we intend to maintain backwards compatibility with the
current Allegro API (except for some obscure features). Most of the
time, this will be done using a compatibility layer -- the old API will
be layered on top of the new API.
2. Users will be able to use the new API as it becomes available -- if
they want to. Or they can wait until the entire API has been redesigned
and implemented before adopting the new API.
3. Even when the entire API has been redesigned, we will probably retain
the compatibility layer for the current API, because it would be easy to
do so.
PS. AllegroPro (as seen in the news item below) is not designed nor
implemented by the Allegro developers. It is a completely different
library started by a user of Allegro."
Don't put that up; it probably needs more work. The "what does this
mean for users" section could probably go into the page describing how
this piece-by-piece redesign thing is supposed to work. Again, the most
important part is to explain that users' code won't be broken umpteen
times over.
Peter