From: Yasushi Shoji <yashi@...>
Date: 2000-03-30T23:32:57-05:00
Subject: [ruby-talk:02286] custom type system?

hello all

# I'm Cc'ing this to ruby-talk, so someone, who knows ruby and Gtk+
# better than me, can correct me if I'm wrong :)

I'm not a gtk developer nor I have done any big gtk project.  All I
have done is a few patches for gtk binding for Ruby.  So I might be
completely misunderstanding the subject... but, here I goes.

After we move type system to glib, will it be possible to use custom
type system in Gtk+?

there are many languages that support object system with language
core. e.g. C++, perl, python, ruby and more.  I just feel that it
would be better to use language feature for it.

my understanding is that because Gtk+ is written in C, and C doesn't
really support object orientation by itself, Gtk+ introduced type
system.  if it's correct, why not allow to use language's type system?

what I've been thinking is that Gtk+ could be separated to three
parts.

- API (which is language binding layer)
- Widget (where actual work is done)
- Core (type system, signal system, etc)

would it help language bindings if Gtk+ can use custom systems in Core?

I don't know any other language binding, but ruby/gtk already use
custom signal handler, which handle not C function pointer but Ruby's
own anonymous function.

I don't think I have enough knowledge of Gtk+ internals, but... Any
comment will be appreciated.
--
           yashi