Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!jpl-devvax!david
From: david@jpl-devvax.JPL.NASA.GOV (David E. Smyth)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: XView and Xrm Resource Manager
Message-ID: <7713@jpl-devvax.JPL.NASA.GOV>
Date: 9 Apr 90 18:41:43 GMT
Reply-To: david@jpl-devvax.JPL.NASA.GOV (David E. Smyth)
Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA
Lines: 43

>rick@hanauma.UUCP (Richard Ottolini) writes:

>>At least XView has a fighting chance now due to its
>>relative "openness".

and I responded:

>No toolkit which is not based on Xrm has a fighting chance.

Some people were not sure what I meant by this statement.  My assertion
is this: XView not only ignores the Xt toolkit, but also bucks the
trend by ignoring the Xrm resource manager.

Heather's comment to me was "That's an unqualified potshot... 
FYI:  XView does use X11 resources and xrm."

Heather is correct in a technical sense: there are several places where
information is obtained from the Xrm database.  However, it important
to note that a significant difference in philosophy exists between how
Xt and XView make use of resources.  Specifically, resources are an
integral part of the object concept of the Xt toolkit, whereas they are
optional features inconsistently and rarely used by the XView toolkit.

For example, using any of the Xt widget sets, one can specify fonts,
colors, translations, and the like for individual components of the
interface from resource files.  This flexibility and addressibility
allows such tools as the WsXc "widget interface interpreter" recently
posted by Martin Brunecky.

The limited use of the Xrm resource database, and the lack of
addressibility is seen as an advantage by some people within Sun.
Specifically, they feel that a consistent look and feel can be
maintained in this way, whereas the Xt approach promotes chaos.

If anybody want my long analysis of the limited use XView makes of
the Xrm database, send me mail, and you'll get all 466 lines of it.

----------------------------------------------------------
David Smyth                david@jpl-devvax.jpl.nasa.gov
Senior Software Engineer,  seismo!cit-vax!jpl-devvax!david
X and Object Guru.         (818)354-6344
JPL, M/S 301-260, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109
----------------------------------------------------------