[mapguide-internals] RE: Refactoring Web .NET API into Common DLLs is ready for review.

[Kenneth Skovhede, GEOGRAF A/S]

I see no use for it with regards to Maestro.

I originally skipped the MapGuide.Net API, because it is just a wrapper 
for unmanaged code.
The unmanaged code removes all the portability benefits.
If I were to use, say the coordinate system code, in Maestro, I would 
have to
provide 32 and 64 bit versions, for both windows, linux and mac.
That is too high a price for me, so I would not use it for Maestro, 
regardless of the split.

The other issue is that none of the types map nicely to the .Net types, 
so eg. a stream
cannot be handled as a .Net stream, meaning that no framework methods 
can work directly on it.

So, even if you have an application that is not supposed to be portable, 
it would not be
as easy to use as it could be. As for the geometry library, I would 
recommend TF.Net instead.

I have no ideas for the use of PlatformBase or Foundation with .Net.
The .Net framework appears to have superior native versions of much
of what is inside those two libraries.

I there were a clear use case for the split, it would be easier to 
comment on.

Regards, Kenneth Skovhede, GEOGRAF A/S



Jason Birch skrev:
> I understand the theoretical benefits I guess, but I'm not convinced that there is concrete demand that justifies disrupting all of the existing .Net applications.
>
> I personally haven't seen people clamouring to re-use the MapGuide APIs outside of MapGuide web apps.  This change causes additional work for existing implementations, has the potential to cause confusion for existing and new users, creates a divergence between the .Net/PHP/Java APIs, and doesn't appear to have a strong foundation in community demand.
>
> I'd be interested in whether our resident .Net desktop developers see ways this could benefit their applications (such as Maestro and FDO Toolbox).
>
> Jason
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Leaf Li
> Sent: Thursday, June 25, 2009 7:04 AM
> Subject: [mapguide-internals] RE: Refactoring Web .NET API into Common DLLs is ready for review.
>
> The key motivation of this RFC is to let other application be able to resue MapGuide's code.
> 1. It is ture .NET developer need update their project to add new reference after this RFC is implemented. However, they may still need rebuild their project without this RFC after using a new version of MapGuide because of some changes to .NET API. So adding some new references to their project is really a minor changes.
> 2. Currently MapGuide .NET Web API depends on MapGuide environment. It is nearly for other application to reuse MapGuide .NET API. After refactoring MapGuide .NET Web API into some common dlls, APIs in Foundation, Geometry and PlatformBase components can be completely used by other applicaiton such as coordinate system API. In that time, MapGuide is not only a Web GIS platform. but also a GIS platform which can be used by both desktop applicaiton and web applicaiton.
>
> Thanks,
> Leaf Li
>
> ________________________________________
> From: Leaf Li
> Sent: Thursday, June 25, 2009 6:47 PM
> To: mapguide-internals at lists.osgeo.org
> Subject: RE: Refactoring Web .NET API into Common DLLs is ready for review.
>
> I think Jason just gave us a very good sample of one of the benefits to this RFC. Users can develop other application based on MapGuide API. Actually those application can be both desktop and web application. I am not sure whether we can have a MapGuide .NET Desktop SDK currenlty. It isn't difficult for users to copy several files manually before we have it as long as we document it.
>
> Thanks,
> Leaf Li_______________________________________________
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