[fpc-devel] Free Pascal introduction to the world

[Martin]

On 10/11/2010 15:13, Graeme Geldenhuys wrote:
>
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: Interface scope incompatibility with Delphi
> Date: Wed, 10 Nov 2010 16:57:13 +0200
>
> Op 2010-11-10 15:01, Michael Van Canneyt het geskryf:
>> This is open source: essentially a hobby project for us.
> [not directed specifically to you as a person, just thinking out loud]
>
> Maybe this little fact should be made public, and very clear on the front
> page of the FPC website. This will ensure no commercial entity will ever
> fall foolishly into the FPC trap. This will obviously benefit the FPC team
> too, because you will have less annoying users that actually try and use
> the product to make a living.
In "this case" [1] no commercial entity can ever use any product at all.

"this case":
The case that a feature required by someone is not added (or not even 
planed to be added).
    [ Note: if you call it bug, instead of feature, read the end of the 
mail before commenting. ]

The cause of "this case" stated here may be relevant to projects driven 
by individuals in their spare time.

But the fact that for fpc "this case" is caused by the reason given, 
does not mean that "this case" does not apply to other products too.

Buy a copy of Delphi, (maybe even several copies of the enterprise 
version). That in no way guarantees that the makers of Delphi will in 
future add every feature you want to have. Or that they will at least 
plan to add it (even if it may take some time before they start).
You will get a nice email back from marketing (well if you are lucky), 
but nothing more.
In fact in the past (and maybe still) in the case of Delphi, even bugs 
do not always get the attention, that users would like to see.

And all that, even Delphi is not developed by people who do it in their 
own spare time, Delphi has a team of developers paid to do nothing but 
develop Delphi.

That proves that "this case" applies, even if the reason in the quote is 
not given.

----
I conclude, if commercial entities can only use software, if every 
feature request will be implemented, then they can not use any software.
If they can live with feature requests being denied, then FPC is well 
usable for them

----
As for the argument: it's not a feature, it's a bug:
- A bug is if software doe not behave as documented.
- FPC documents that you can not make any assumption when an interface 
is released.

About the documented Delphi-Compatibility: Maybe (and that may be a bu 
in the documentation, if so => but i did not check):
FPC should document that Delphi compatibility means, following the 
documentation/specs from Delphi. There is no binary compatibility or any 
other compatibility on top of the docs from Delphi.

Martin