Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!jpl-devvax!david
From: david@jpl-devvax.JPL.NASA.GOV (David E. Smyth)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: Re: A tirade about inefficient software & systems
Message-ID: <10294@jpl-devvax.JPL.NASA.GOV>
Date: 8 Nov 90 17:42:22 GMT
References: <9011061536.AA15577@islanders.>
Reply-To: david@jpl-devvax.JPL.NASA.GOV (David E. Smyth)
Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA
Lines: 54

fgreco@dprg-330.GOVt.shearson.COM (Frank Greco) writes:
>
>> Paul Asente (asente@adobe.com) writes:
>> > >... NeWS (and presumably Display PostScript) ...
>> > >impose the PostScript imaging model on their clients, which may not
>> > >be appropriate for some applications.
>> > 
>> > Not true for Display PostScript, at least as it exists on DEC and IBM boxes
>> > (i.e. as an X extension...
>> 
>> Similar capability exists, of course, in Sun's Openwindows 2; you can create
>> an XView window and render PostScript code into it, mixing XView/Xlib calls
>> and PostScript calls. See ~openwin/share/xvps.ps for explanation and sample
>> code.
>
>	And, also the problem with X extensions is that, they are...extensions,
>	and not guaranteed to be available on your server.  With OpenWindows
>	Postscript rendering (more properly, NeWS rendering) is guaranteed
>	to be available.  

Only guaranteed if you are running OpenWindows [sic] and guaranteed NOT
to be available if you are running any other X server.

This is obviously a bad position to find oneself IF you are:
	1.	Writing code which is intended to be portable, OR
	2.	Writing code which will be around for a long time.

If you are only writing code for Sun machines, AND if your code is
throw away junk, then by all means, count on OpenWindows [sic]
capabilities.

Using OpenWindows [sic] specific capabilities is as questionable as
using DEC FORTRAN specific capabilities 10 years ago: they are GREAT
capabilities, but forget about porting.  And the only reason for
FORTRAN then was portability, and the best reason for X today is
platform independence!

Not that writing code for Suns only is a *bad* thing - it _is_ the
biggest single market TODAY.  Just like the VAX was the obvious
platform 10 years ago.  Sun makes really nice machines, and their
software isn't too bad either.  However, it you work for the government
where we are directed by the OMB to avoid vendor-specific soulutions,
then writing Sun specific code might be the last code you write...

(written on a Sun via rn on a VAX, using X11R4 on everything)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
David Smyth				david@jpl-devvax.jpl.nasa.gov
Senior Software Engineer,		seismo!cit-vax!jpl-devvax!david
X and Object Guru.			(818)393-0983
Jet Propulsion Lab, M/S 230-103, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109
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