From: Martin Weber <Ephaeton@...>
Date: 2002-07-27T06:23:26+09:00
Subject: Re: curses dev kit, was Re: [OT] Re: GUI's and the Rouge

On Sat, Jul 27, 2002 at 06:15:37AM +0900, Massimiliano Mirra wrote:
> On Sat, Jul 27, 2002 at 12:29:02AM +0900, Martin Weber wrote:
> > > So?  It doesn't say that it depends on gpm, it says that if it's
> > > there, it'll be used to make mouse available.  I don't see a problem
> > > with that.
> > 
> > ...except you use its mouse support. I prefer using things which do
> > not tempt me to use non portable stuff when I want to use their "full
> > power".
> 
> No, it's much easier: mouse support in console is essential for you
> and optional for me.
> 
> File.chmod won't work in Windows 98, yet we're both programming in
> Ruby.  Why?  Because the object of non portability is optional to both
> of us.

Well, yeah, but Ruby itself makes it easier to write portable code.

Portable doesn't only mean "run on windows and unix", it also means
"Run on any unix".

File.chmod will work on solaris, AIX, *BSD, Mac OS X etc. too.

That library most probably won't. Curses will.

It's like those "Unix Downloads" whose source files #include <linux/....h>.

But hey, for LINUX ONLY stuff, guess you can use it and get happy with it :)
You're just crippling your possible audience (if you're developing useful open-
source stuff), and I suppose not all of us here want to do that.

-Martin