[GRASS-dev] CLI!=GUI

[Paolo Cavallini]

Il 27/11/2010 23:40, Hamish ha scritto:
> for the record I regularly build grass 6.5svn on an old debian/etch
> machine which has no wx2.8 avail. ie just for the CLI. It copies
> python files into a gui/ dir at install but never uses them. C++
> wx modules are not build (cleanly). no problems at all... zero.

please think of normal users: believe it or not, people does not compile their
packages, and rely on executables.

> as per dual packages, I'd say not necessary, extra work for very
> little gain. it would just save a megabyte or two on the install.

this is not the point: it will save unnecessary dependencies. That's why in sane OSs
packages are split in several independent subpackages.

> the gui development is very good at exposing limitations in the
> CLI versions of everything, so it's natural that they both grow
> together. and it is already very well separated at the code
> level. the only thing that aren't are interactive apps which
> are not relevant to the CLI-only crowd.

if they are well separated, why not separating them, giving more freedom to users?
I agree that GUI and CLI will grow together, but why waiting in the release of one
part just because the other is still to be fixed?
The rationale is: decoupling CLI and GUI will make the release cycle smoother, and
allows a greater freedom, especially for 3rd party applications, either desktop or web.
I would like to see GRASS spreading further in the freeGIS arena, and I'm suggesting
this could be a way.

All the best.
-- 
Paolo Cavallini: http://www.faunalia.it/pc