Open Source / 2

[RickCHodgin]

That API is huge, probably 50x more complex than it needs to be.

Needs to be for what? I'm pretty sure the complexity isn't there for it's own sake. Maybe you only didn't understand fully for what it's good for?

For the needs of fully supporting apps running in an OS.

Something that is very PM in nature and function, but doesn't include the full API?

IMHO then it's no PM. It's another graphic engine with limited functionality. Zero applications and no GUI. Or do you think WPS and SOM runs on your lightweight version? What is the benefit compared to our working PM. I fore myself hardly see any need for such thing.

I know your position on my work, Andi.  Thank you for your feedback.

My long-term goals are ES/2, so this would serve as the PM for ES/2.  It could be expanded by anybody to include all of the features, but there are far fewer needed than what I began reading in that document last night.  More than an order of magnitude fewer.

[RickCHodgin]

That API is huge, probably 50x more complex than it needs to be.  I'll definitely pare it down.

I'll work on a creating the skeleton of an open PM on Windows using Visual Studio.  Once the base algorithms are developed and it's able to do basic things, it can be ported to OS/2 and expanded by somebody.

I was able to get the API list into function names, and it's 504 functions in it's full form, which is manageable.  I'll begin building the skeleton for that, and map out a strategy for completion.  If anyone would like to help me when I get it framed, please let me know.

Note:  I was mis-reading the IBM OS/2 Presentation Manager Programming Guide and Reference documentation.  I read each parameter as a variation of the function because it included its function name, but I now see it's simply an extended form of documentation for each parameter.

[RickCHodgin]

I was able to find the full range of functions defined in the OS/2 4.5 toolkit's .h files, and will use my CAlive source code parser to read the source files, load them into Wiki pages for full parameter-based documentation, creating a fully documented developer help system (to be added to the EDM/2?).

Maybe after it's completed, someone can read the Presentation Manager documentation, and add in the missing verbal descriptions over time, or at least cite the pages the functions fall in/on.

[RickCHodgin]

I began working on this task this past weekend.  My goal is to obtain all headers in a form that's able to be parsed out into documentation, and to associate every function with its published place in the system DLLs, creating a comprehensive database of every core OS file that is visible to developer code.

I was also thinking on the way in to work this morning of creating a much simpler Workplace Shell, one that does pretty much the same things we have today, but is done through a much simpler and smaller API.  I'll have to consider it.

I would like to have other developers help me at some point.  I'll lay the foundation and get things moving, but please know I am looking for help on this project.  I do not want to do it alone.  I want to be part of a team that is working together to create an open source OS/2 clone that will put both Linux and Windows to shame.