[fpc-pascal] Re: FreePascal as an embedded language in Firebird: possible and desirable?

[Jim]

On 9-8-2011 17:49, Jonas Maebe wrote:
> 
> On 09 Aug 2011, at 17:04, Jim wrote:
> 
>> 4. I just tried to open up communication and provide a way for
>> both sides to communicate and keep track of things.
> The problem is that this is generally not how things actually get
> implemented in open source software. Things get implemented by
> someone with an interest who writes code/patches, and if this code
> adds significant new functionality then this person is generally also
> expected to volunteer to maintain this new code for the foreseeable
> future. 
It helps if people know the possibility for FPC as embedded language
exists though ;)

In the specific case of this feature request, a) adding HP-UX
> support to FPC will simply not happen unless someone with an interest
> in that platform submits patches and wants to maintain the platform
> support. 
Didn't even imply that. Just mentioned that communicating with the
Firebird people on what platforms FPC runs on might be handy, so they
can have realistic expectations, too.

b) defining the API to use for communicating with Firebird
> is by definition something that the Firebird people have to do (or
> someone else who then proposes it to the Firebird people). Once that
> is done, an RTL for this new API can be written by that same person
> or someone else with an interested in this project and then added to
> FPC (which in turn makes turn makes the underlying OS largely
> irrelevant, except for calling conventions and things like that)
There must be easy and diffficult APIs for FPC to work with. Getting
something that's awful to work with (C++ style) is more difficult than
somethign easy (C style).

I'm no expert though.

 c)
> this project may depend on other bugs getting fixed in FPC, but the
> mere existence of this feature request is unlikely to influence how
> quickly they will actually get fixed
Could have been clearer there: having an overarching feature request
could be handy to relate bugs to. In this way, you know when you're
ready/what needs to be done, etc.
> 
> Filing feature requests saying "people of project A and project B, I
> would love if you got together and somehow integrated your software,
> adding any missing functionality in the process such as additional
> platform support" has very little chance of getting anything done.
That's why I submitted it to both mailing lists first. See Michael Van
Canneyt's and Tony Whyman's responses here and a lot of other responses
on the Firebird dev list.
The platform support is not something I'm interested in. Personally, I
would be thrilled if it just ran on Linux.

> While communication is useful, the basic requirement is someone (or a
> group of people) that will do the work.
Totally agreed with you there.

In the end, if people don't want to do it, they won't. It's their time.

Once again, if you want to close this issue, no problem.