Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!bloom-beacon!EXPO.LCS.MIT.EDU!rws
From: rws@EXPO.LCS.MIT.EDU (Bob Scheifler)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: Re: Wanted: Pointers to materials describing extensions to X
Message-ID: <9006111556.AA02473@expire.lcs.mit.edu>
Date: 11 Jun 90 15:56:49 GMT
References: <1990Jun8.083647.10924@tsa.co.uk>
Sender: root@athena.mit.edu (Wizard A. Root)
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 49


    1.  Device independence

Many vendors are working on support for outline fonts in X; Sun already
has shipped support as part of OpenWindows.  Work is on-going within the
Consortium in this area.  Adobe is working with various vendors to put
Display PostScript into the X environment.  OpenWindows is a different
approach to PostScript integration.

    2.  Division of work between client and server

I would dispute several things here, but I don't have time.

    3.  Graphics model

I believe you are mistaken about "copyright" issues.  We have had
discussions with a number of font suppliers about supporting their
fonts in the X environment.  Work is on-going within the X Consortium.

    4.  Interactive video

Todd Brunhoff at Tektronix has been leading efforts to standardize an
X extension for video.  The work is reasonably far along (alpha test
of an implementation).

    5.  Internationalization

There is considerable activity within the X Consortium in this area.
We are working to get documents out for public review.

    6.  Network independence

There are no "dependencies" on TCP/IP in the X protocol.  X3H3.6 is indeed
working to produce a standard mapping of X onto OSI.  Talk to X terminal
vendors (e.g. NCD, GraphOn) about running over 9600 baud lines; there are
people who do it daily.

    7.  Programming model

There is no "official" C++ interface to Xlib, save the normal C interface.
Lots of vendors are working on C++ interfaces to X, at various levels.
There are one (or two?) Ada bindings kicking about.  Several vendors have
Fortran interfaces.  None of them are "standard".

    8.  Security

Several vendors are working on B1/CMW prototypes/products.  At least one vendor
is working on more "commerical" security aspects.  You'd have to ask the
vendors about schedules.