World: r3wp

SWIG bindings are one-to-one bindings, mapping a C library call to 
a function in the high-level language. This disregards the richer 
ways of expression that are possible in the high-level language. 
As we know, REBOL is especially powerful, and I think it would be 
better to write bindings in a more suitable way

This problem can be observed in Python, which usually has one-to-one 
style bindings. A language like Io, for example, has bindings that 
were designed to fit well with its object-oriented design

I think the best way in REBOL is, as usual, to design dialects on 
the abstraction level of the user, and implement them in terms of 
the available C libraries. This is what Orca does so far with Qt 
and OpenGL

Apart from cleaner code, it probably makes for better performance 
as well

In rebol, it would be faster, yes. Those other compiled languages 
can more easily afford to map every function.

Yes, I suppose there would be a big difference between compiled and 
interpreted languages

My first thought a few years ago was SWIG as well, but after looking 
into it, I concluded that it was more suitable to some languages 
than others

Is anybody planning to take on Orca development ? I wanted to reply 
to Karl R. message in the Orca mailing list asking him for 1) move 
license to MIT/BSD 2) what he doesn't like about rebol that prompted 
him to abandon the project

Karl is continuing with Thune, his other language of his own design. 
His principle is to design languages based on the same REBOL syntax, 
but with different semantics. So, Thune is still a lot like REBOL, 
but not compatible

Did you read my explanation above why a BSD license wouldn't solve 
all issues going forward?

I am continuing with Orca in Syllable, and I will make improvements 
to Orca where I can and need them. A few other people have expressed 
interest in development as well

No. Would MIT or Boost license be ok ?

GPL/LGPL gives a lot libraries, which cant be used with bsd. No bsd 
or no libraries.

the other way around works. So lgpl has more power.

Orca -->  OpenRebol   :  could there be any legal issues using this 
name ?

then call it Freebol :-)

not sure, how those things go .... it depends, how RT has registered 
their trademark ....

Yarc?

I think there is not a legal problem with "OpenRebol", but I would 
prefer the opinion of someone like Kaj or Reichart.

I'm not a lawyer, as they say, but I think it's a problem under trademark 
law. Whether it would be a problem in practice would depend on RT's 
reaction

Chances are that RT is obliged to take action, because you loose 
the right to a name if you don't defend it

Mmm.. that's an interesting point.

I finished rewriting the Syllable package manager tool in Orca, from 
C++. It's going to be in Syllable 0.6.2. I encountered some Orca 
bugs, but no showstoppers

Have you recorded the bugs ?

I made notes in the program itself

Are you fixing bugs in Orca? :-)

Not yet, I'm just wondering if those are being tracked.

Orca has a trac instance

I'll start doing some things on the project site in the future, but 
I've got a lot of other stuff going on, so it will take some time 
until I get to it

Kaj send me you diffs and I will post the changes.

What diffs? I have to make changes first. :-) When I do, I'll try 
to do it in the Subversion repository, if that's OK with you

I entered Orca onto FreshMeat:

http://freshmeat.net/projects/rebol-orca/

Unfortunately, they didn't put it on the frontpage

You can announce to anyone you see fit. It is an open project without 
direct owners.

Diffs. I mean load the current base from the repository and generata 
a universal patch using the diff cmd on the two copies. Then we can 
check changes one by one.

Or I we can wait.

I'm reading Ubuntu 6.06RC release notes and here's this:

ORCA

Replacing the venerable Gnopernicus is the new Orca, a scriptable 
screenreader for the GNOME desktop. Expect some great things from 
this in the coming months and years. Best of all, it is written in 
Ubuntu's favourite language, Python.

Hm, that's not OUR orca :( BTW, what is its current status?

Lots of things are called Orca. We still need a name change

I'm working with Orca on Syllable. I've identified a number of bugs 
and missing features that I will work on first when I start developing 
Orca itself

I was pleased to find that none of them are showstoppers, though

There were a few unreleased bug fixes for Orca and QUIT/RETURN was 
implemented recently, so I made a new release and put it on FreshMeat:

http://freshmeat.net/projects/rebol-orca/?branch_id=66431&release_id=241129

As Orca is backtracking Rebol why not backtrack the name : lober 
a lob in tennis is to get the ball over the other player : ).  It 
is free on Freshmeat.

I released new source and binary packages for ORCA:

http://freshmeat.net/projects/rebol-orca/

There's a binary for Linux, and this new version is also included 
in Syllable, starting with Syllable Server 0.2 that I just released

Several small fixes and enhancements were made to ORCA over the past 
year, which these packages roll up

I registered ORCA on Ohloh:

http://www.ohloh.net/projects/ORCA