Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!snorkelwacker!bloom-beacon!EXPO.LCS.MIT.EDU!kit
From: kit@EXPO.LCS.MIT.EDU (Chris D. Peterson)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: Re: Application default resources - A Dissent
Message-ID: <9002131618.AA10755@expo.lcs.mit.edu>
Date: 13 Feb 90 16:18:50 GMT
References: <22049@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU>
Sender: daemon@athena.mit.edu (Mr Background)
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 41


> The invention of Application defaults files was poorly integrated
> with the previous system.

I agree that it needs a bit of work, we are considering the problem,
unfortunatly most of the comments you make require changes to both Xlib and Xt,
since the Resource manager is part of Xlib.  This doesn't mean that we can't fix
it, just that it is a little tougher.

> 1. Some resources which can be set in applications defaults files
>    can not be unset by the users resource settings.

An Interesting point, I will have to think about this a little more, but it
would be useful to have a way to "unmatch" the resource.

> 2. The precidence computations survive between the application
>    defaults and user defaults.

I agree that it should be possible for the user to override the application's
defaults for resources, and do it in a simple manner, such as
"*Foreground:blue".  I do not agree that it should be the only behavior.
There are some cases where the user would like to have the current behavior.

>	I suggest that XrmMergeDatabases change this behavior.

I think that we have found a way to solve this problem a bit more generally.
Our solution also remains backward compatible, something that we MUST do,
whether we like it or not :-)

I know that I am being vague in my answers.  This is because we are just
beginning to look at the problems of resource management, and I am not willng to
provide any "solutions" yet.  I did, however, want to let you know that we have
heard your comments, and are thinking about the issues involved.


						Chris D. Peterson     
						MIT X Consortium 

Net:	 kit@expo.lcs.mit.edu
Phone:   (617) 253 - 9608	
Address: MIT - Room NE43-213