[Demexp-dev] Re: [demexp.contact] [Fwd: Re: [demexp-announce] Demexp version 0.6 for Linux, Windows and Mac!]

[David MENTRE]

Hello Juan,

2005/9/16, Juan Maiz <address@hidden>:
>  In fact we didn't started to code, and we are not willing to do it, because
> of demexp. It's better to join your project, and sum strenghts, right?

Yes. :-)

>  I'm forwarding to that list. I have a six years programming experience,
> especially in web development using PHP, Python (now for Symbian projects),
> and other open source langs.

Cool!

[ about web interface ]
>  Are you using Ocaml to do it? 

Yes. More exactly WDialog of Gerd Stolpmann:
  http://wdialog.sourceforge.net/

In latest Arch dev branch, demexp--dev--0.7, there is code for the
Login dialog (look at web/login.ui and web/login.ml source files) that
connects to teh server and check the login.

There is much to do to have a nice design for modern browser (using
"div" in .ui files and CSS) while keeping compatibility and usability
for older ones or text ones (lynx, ...). But there is also a lot of
work on the programming side if you are interested. :)

>  I know that Ocaml is very popular in France, but it's not a very pop
> lang... Isn't it better to chose another language for web, like Python (with
> Twisted!) or Ruby (with Rails) ? Python can also be a good choice for
> cellphones and other devices.

This has been a recurrent question that I have asked to myself and to
others on this list. I've chosen OCaml because I love it, programming
with it is fun for me and because I think it has a lot of qualities
from a software engineering point of view (good garbage collector,
speed of produced programs, strong typing, ...). The software project
has started for two years now and I've been able to sustain all
developments nearly alone. I think I would not be able to do that with
another language.

That's said, reduced popularity of OCaml (even in France! ;) is a real
issue. I don't have time to code another client but if you are willing
to do it, why not. Just ask yourself if this is worth it, considering
current code.

Thomas Petazzoni (on this list), has written an RPC support for
Python, so you could use it easily for the network part of a Python
client. He has not released his code yet, overwhelmed by other
projects, but might do it one day.

>  It will be good to suit the "clients" needs! 

Feel free to submit patches. ;-)

>  Ok, i'm in! 

Welcome on board!

Yours,
d.