What do we want OpenXTalk to be?

Sub-forum to lay a basic framework for future expansion and/or modifications to OXT
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Roland
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What do we want OpenXTalk to be?

Post by Roland »

Hi to all

I understand that OpenXTalk shall start as a fork of LiveCode Open Source. I like to mention some basics that I feel should be uphold. Personally, I will continue supporting LiveCode and LiveCode Ltd. But I also support such effort as this one here.

The open source should not be abandoned and die.

Proposed principles:

(1) Relationship: Amicable relationship with the LiveCode Ltd. Bug fixes and ideas could be shared for free to LiveCode Ltd. if they are permitted to accept this (license terms...). At least a high level description could help. Keeping on pair with the development of the main product even if the code is different. I my eyes, the support should be for LiveCode.

(2) Development: I see no other way but employing C/C++/Java developers (off-shore or from the community). We have to pay something, otherwise such effort dies -- this is an almost full time job. If there are ambitious students or retired programmers, copy writers, graphic designers ... they may do this for a very small sum of money. Understand, this is a huge effort: User requirements, technical requirements, work-flow management, documentation, configuration management, quality assurance (all kinds of testing), bug fixing, change management, ... The community should pay through regular payments, and there must be donations.

(3) Documentation: documentation, documentation... all tools, all stacks, all notes, all descriptions ... they should all be available without having to go through dozens of web pages searching.

(4) Goals: A very transparent road plan for bug fixes and new features to which everyone can contribute who has the skills. For this (and I think this was not well done by LiveCode Ltd.) there must bed a transparent and easy way to apply, to communicate, to exactly know in detail what to do, and such "jobs" must be tracked, tested, and if they pass quality assurance, they can be integrated.

(5) User Interface: A user interface design that meets today's standards. Flutter is an example how it can be done. If something is not made according to such standards, including documentation standards, coding standards, naming standards, all will break apart. Flutter goes with Google Material Design. Whatever the developers does, it will already look and feel in the similar way. Why not employ such widely accepted standard? It is up to discussion and may change to Windows standards, Apple standards, etc. But the more standards need to be supported, the harder it will become.

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Additional personal thoughts:

OOP: I would like to see OpenXTalk (if this is the name of the product) to start supporting Object Oriented Design paradigms (and we are not so far away from that), this means classes and objects with class inheritance, methods and properties.

Hot reload: For Android and iOS there should be something similar to hot-reload ... Clicking a button to update instantaneously the new stacks.

Fast code: Flutter is highly optimized code compiled to run very fast natively. That is a pretty difficult to achieve, I suspect. But it should be thought about with experts.

Marketing: Again, if marketing is not made under one roof with one main approach and a single convincing message, it will all break apart. I am not talking about commercial marketing, but also non-commercial marketing is not easy. People will find what they are interested in and what stirs their emotions and happiness.

Market analysis: What do people really want? What is missing? What do advanced programmers want? Or is it just for students and hobbyists? We can not just stay in an echo chamber and look at ourselves.

Money: We are not making money for personal benefit, but money is always involved -- in the form of cash, time, resources, etc. This is all energy = money.

Non profit organization: Should this not then be a non-profit organization with a some regulations and rules? At least, in the long run, some people could receive salaries and costs are deducted.

- A. Where do we stand?
- B. What do we want to be?
- What are the milestones and steps to come from A to B?

Roland
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OpenXTalkPaul
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Re: What do we want OpenXTalk to be?

Post by OpenXTalkPaul »

I moved this to a new OpenXTalk Manifesto sub-forum, because it's essentially the same discussion I've been having with various individuals in a bunch of different places.
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