[ubuntu-art] Hacking / Kludging - WAS Re: gtk theme

[Andrea Cimitan]

Il giorno gio, 06/03/2008 alle 10.01 -0600, xl cheese ha scritto:
> All of your are correct!
>  
> 1.  It's good to have stable software for end users.  Most people
> don't like things to crash or spending time debugging problems.  We
> need this school of thought for official released code. BUT-
>  
> 2.  It's also good to have people 'Kludging' up progressive new ideas.
> Whether or not their code is great or not they are bringing new things
> to the table which can eventually be polished off and absorbed by the
> mainstream releases. 
>  
> We need both conservative AND forward thinkers.  A good example has
> already been presented.  The Nodoka style is now part of the murrine
> engine.  Without someone 'hacking' away with Nodoka we would not have
> that option now in a stable form.  So instead of _laughing_ at them
> and singing this to yourself in the shower,
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSdjOEf1W4Y , you should send 'em some
> brownies and a thank you card for their innovative ideas.
YOu are wrong, Nodoka code was always part of Murrine, since it is just
Murrine with a different name and hilight_ratio = 0.909090 hardcoded in
the engine
>  
> This is open source code not microsoft.  If someone wants to make a
> copy, rename it and change it up they should be encouraged to do so
> and perhaps given a little guidance...  No one's hand is being held to
> the fire to install them.
>  
> -wes
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ______________________________________________________________________
> 
> > Date: Thu, 6 Mar 2008 09:17:54 -0600
> > From: newz at bearfruit.org
> > To: ubuntu-art at lists.ubuntu.com
> > Subject: Re: [ubuntu-art] Hacking / Kludging - WAS Re: gtk theme
> > 
> > On Thu, Mar 6, 2008 at 9:06 AM, Troy James Sobotka
> > <troy.sobotka at gmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > >> > Patch the code. Kludge it out when we have no other option.
> Let the
> > > >> > progression happen.
> > > >
> > > > In short, it isn't really perfectionism (well, a bit...), but
> it's
> > > > more a matter of maintainability.
> > >
> > > It certainly isn't optimal, and I am well aware of the
> shortcomings.
> > > The point isn't to kludge / hack _everything_, but do it where it
> is
> > > required to achieve an innovation. Animated progressbars might be
> an
> > > example here.
> > 
> > And let me point out two things:
> > 
> > The open source moto is, "release early, release often."
> > 
> > Also, there is a programming standard way to do denote this. You put
> a
> > comment in your source code near your hack followed by a TODO: and
> > what you want to change. Many programming editors will highlight
> this
> > line specially and some, like eclipse, will even show a todo list
> > below the source code editor listing each item.
> > 
> > You also create a file in your source's root directory called TODO
> and
> > outline things you consider less than ideal. It's ok to use a hack
> if
> > its well documented and understood what you're trying to do.
> > 
> > // TODO: is there a better way to show animated scroll bars?
> > // This is a HACK but it works
> > // (optional extra explanation if your code is particularly clever
> and hard
> > // to understand)
> > 
> > -- 
> > Matthew Nuzum
> > newz2000 on freenode
> > 
> > -- 
> > ubuntu-art mailing list
> > ubuntu-art at lists.ubuntu.com
> > https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-art
> 
> 
> 
> ______________________________________________________________________
> Helping your favorite cause is as easy as instant messaging. You IM,
> we give. Learn more.
-- 
Andrea "Cimi" Cimitan - <cimi86 at alice.it>
Website: http://www.cimitan.com
Murrine Author: http://www.cimitan.com/murrine
GNOME Developer: http://www.gnome.org