NEWS

<a name="4.0.1" id="1167969613" title="Prototype becomes foundation"></a>

java-gnome 4.0.1 (05 Jan 2007)
==============================

_It's not really a prototype anymore! the design works, and so the code that
is here is forming the foundation of the new Java bindings for GTK and GNOME._

While there are some significant pieces of engineering that are yet to be
done, and of course a universe of coverage yet to write, we're pleased to mark
the milestone of the prototype having proved itself to be stable and the
strong foundation that we need. In this release:

Project documentation
---------------------

Import project documentation, initially consisting of the re-engineering
emails written by Andrew Cowie to the java-gnome-hackers mailing list, and
expanded to include top level [`README`](README.html) and
[`HACKING`](HACKING.html) files, and a style guide for contributors to follow.
All documentation [re]formatted in Markdown syntax so as to be renderable to
web pages. See [`doc/design/`](doc/design/README.html) and
[`doc/style/`](doc/style/).

Project website
---------------

Create an entirely new website for <http://java-gnome.sourceforge.net/>,
introducing sections "[About](/4.0/)", "[Documentation](/4.0/doc/)",
"[Download](/4.0/get/)" and "[Interact](/4.0/lists/)" to discuss the the
project as a whole, to be a home for the documentation, to provide
instructions on how to get java-gnome, and information about the mailing lists
and IRC channel, respectively. Also include a page thanking the previous
generations of maintainers for their hard work and noting that the
[2.x](/2.x/) bindings have been unmaintained for some time now and are
formally deprecated.

The website is no longer a wiki but is entirely within the source code of
java-gnome itself. See the `web/public/` directory; improvements welcome.

Major engineering
-----------------

Quite significantly, the infrastructure to get a Proxy or Constant instance
for any arbitrary C side pointer or enum is complete, involving _significant_
work to:

 * `org.freedestkop.bindings.Plumbing`
 * **`org.freedestkop.bindings.Proxy`**
 * **`org.freedestkop.bindings.Constant`**
 * `org.gnome.glib.Plumbing`
 * **`org.gnome.glib.Value`**
 * `org.gnome.glib.GValue`
 * `org.gnome.glib.Fundamental`
 * **`org.gnome.glib.Object`**

Along with the corresponding C side code, especially in `GValue.c`

This was a necessary building block in order to complete the generalized
`getProperty()` mechanism that, while hidden from public view, is nevertheless
a major aspect of the GObject tool chest and is usable by bindings hackers
when necessary. The generalized instance mechanism was the last major
engineering hurdle that needed to be achieved in order to prove the new
bindings design.

New coverage
------------

* **`org.gnome.gtk.Label`**
* **`org.gnome.gtk.Fixed`**
* **`org.gnome.gtk.Box`**
* **`org.gnome.gtk.VBox`**
* **`org.gnome.gtk.HBox`**

Along with

* _`org.gnome.gtk.GtkLabel`_
* _`org.gnome.gtk.GtkFixed`_
* _`org.gnome.gtk.GtkBox`_
* _`org.gnome.gtk.GtkVBox`_
* _`org.gnome.gtk.GtkHBox`_

And corresponding [working] mockup native code.

Compliments to Srichand Pendyala from Bangalore, India for being the first
external hacker to have a patch accepted to mainline! He contributed methods
to Label and initiated the implementation of the Fixed class. In so doing, he
also helped work the bugs out of the `bzr bundle` submission process. Awesome.

Build improvements
------------------

java-gnome now builds on Ubuntu and OpenSolaris in addition to its home turf
of Gentoo. Thanks to John Rice of Sun Microsystems who provided the guidance
allowing us to port Equivalence to Solaris some months ago, and Laszlo Peter,
also of Sun Ireland, for several fixes to allow configure to recognize a wider
range of Solaris environments.

The tiny example program that we have been using to validate the code,
`Experiment` is now compiled by the build system if you so request. Try `make
demo`.

API documentation
-----------------

Extensive attention has been paid to the JavaDoc for the few methods that are
presented so as to clearly set the standard required. The canonical JavaDoc
for the project is available at the website with a stable URL and can be
linked to.

All source code [comments, ie JavaDoc] have been spell checked! Initial top
level `overview.html` and `package.html` files have also been written to help
round out the JavaDoc.

AfC


<a name="4.0.0" id="1164533400" title="First public demonstration"></a>

java-gnome 4.0.0 (26 Nov 2006)
==============================
 
_Initial release of the java-gnome 4.0 prototype, corresponding to the first
public demonstration of the new bindings done at
[foss.in/2006](http://foss.in/2006/) at Bangalore, India._

The prototype is fully functional and is intended to prove the design and
architecture we have arrived at as a result of the re-engineering process. It
includes both real wrapper layer classes that are the seed from which our
public API will grow, along with the infrastructure that the wrapper layer
depends on.

Initial coverage
----------------

Wrapper layer presenting the public API to developers (publicly visible
classes in bold):

* **`org.freedesktop.bindings.Proxy`**
* **`org.gnome.glib.Value`**
* **`org.gnome.glib.Object`**
* **`org.gnome.gtk.Object`**
* **`org.gnome.gtk.Widget`**
* **`org.gnome.gtk.Container`**
* **`org.gnome.gtk.Bin`**
* **`org.gnome.gtk.Button`**
* **`org.gnome.gtk.Window`**

Along with complete translation layer implementations for each:

* `org.freedesktop.bindings.Plumbing`
* `org.gnome.glib.Plumbing`
* `org.gnome.glib.GValue`
* `org.gnome.glib.GObject`
* `org.gnome.gtk.GtkObject`
* _`org.gnome.gtk.GtkWidget`_
* _`org.gnome.gtk.GtkContainer`_
* _`org.gnome.gtk.GtkBin`_
* _`org.gnome.gtk.GtkButton`_
* _`org.gnome.gtk.GtkWindow`_

At present the bindings mock up the code that will be generated with
temporarily hand written substitutes (ie, those in italics above) for both
translation (Java) and native (C) layers. These will do until we receive the
funding to make the code generator a reality; we certainly don't want to be
writing much more translation layer Java and C code by hand. Yuk.


Signal API
----------

The defining aspect of GUI programming is, of course, that it is event driven.
In addition to the "forward" direction of making calls to the native library
and having return values bubble back up, there is the "reverse" direction of
connecting callback handlers to the various signals that different Widgets
offer, and having those signal events result in those handlers being invoked.

java-gnome 4.0 has an entirely new and redesigned signal connection and
callback API. This functionality was demonstrated, and coverage of
**`Button.CLICKED`** and **`Window.DELETE`** is now present and functional!
The APIs used by GNOME language bindings to achieve this are some of the most
voodoo I have ever seen. But it's hooked up, and it works. It's like black
magic :)

Build
-----

java-gnome is configured and built using Andrew Cowie's Equivalence build
scripts. It builds on Gentoo and should build on a Debian or Fedora derived
system as well. See [`README`](README.html) for further details.

At the moment, java-gnome is a single source package.

The source code is available via `bzr`. Again, see `README`.

AfC

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