World: r3wp

first native C/C++ header import functions
to easy unlock the full power of fast, stable C/C++ lib's
second unstable, bloated COM support if really
necessary ;-)

If you are talking about Windows, you have to assume that C/C++ libs 
are unstable too, and that you can't do anything without COM.

On Vista you have to assume that there is a lot you can't do without 
.NET support - many of the new APIs are .NET-based.

C/C++ doesn't mean fast either - it depends on the algorithms.

for me it is enough if "nearly all" C libs have been
more stable and faster than COM container I have ever
used. if you are happy with COM, use it! I prefer C/C++
lib's if possible. at least even TASM is unstable and slow 
if your design is poor but this is splitting hairs...

The problem I have is that what I need to do with Windows has only 
COM APIs, or in some cases .NET. Unstable beats unavailable.

It depends on what RT's goal is, who has the time and skills to do 
things, and what's most important. I would like to  see time spent 
on an official systems for packaging, building, IPC, an IDE and other 
tools, a solid OSX build, etc., rather than a .NET/DLR port.

.NET sucks (from what I can see), but boy, what a market... (hopefully 
that one sentence sums it all up).

Community project, remember. Who said RT had to do it?

If RT's goal is to lure Windows programmers, particularly corporate 
ones, they need to support COM, .NET, and big DB connections (with 
good examples).

I don't know that it's their goal though.

In fact, while attempting to convince somoene to use REBOL over .NET, 
I really learned how little .NET actually does for you as  web developer. 
(I can't speak to using .NET for something else).

Reichart, having used and studied .NET extensively, I can concur 
that it sucks. It just sucks less than its competition.

REBOL is not its competition btw - Java and COM are.

Hi Guy's - .NET was M$ attempt to solve dllhell. Also to be a platfrom 
for their own languages.

And move away from the 1980's C API. :-)

Yep, some of their own dll's mixed old C with newer c++ and 16/32 
bit code which had to be thunked to work

Also, MS adopted .NET for the same reason Apple adopted LLVM: cross-hardware 
compatibility.

One way to see it is to ask yourself, what you value most: earning 
money or doing something right. Sometimes it's possible to do it 
right AND earn a lot at the same time. Many years ago, I found out, 
that I enjoy most doing things right, so that's my priority one.

I enjoy doing things right too, but I have a mortgage :(

A buddhist would then argue, that when you own nothing, you're not 
afraid of loosing anything, but that might be a tad too extreme. 
:-)

Try owning nothing and living through a Chicago winter :)

(I know, you can rent, but that costs money too)

Geomol, remember the L'easy campaign a few years ago about owning 
nothing and renting everything?

I like that philosophy sort of, but it sucks for products I like 
and want to keep forever.

hehe, yeah. I don't like to owe someone, so L'easy is not for me.

that's true

but I hate losing things, it's a dilemma. :-)

I suppose we're assuming material ownership here. I've converted 
my material goods into goodwill in the past years and feel pretty 
good now that it can't be taken away from me :-)

that's a good move, Kaj

Will R3 Richtext support "hot links"? 

I mean links which are able to open files / links in other applications, 
or run a Rebol function when clicked?
Something like:

view [

 text [ "More info on " link http://www.rebol.org". Clickable " action 
 "text." [print "You clicked me!"]
]

yes

Now that's a clear answer, Thanks ;-)

not sure if it's going to be exactly like that though, but there 
will be hot areas for text, where you can do some kind of action.

This looks like the easiest way for me, but if there are better ones, 
I won't complain.

What do you think about the following addition to trace?

trace/log %file


which would write trace output to a file, so it can be reviewed later, 
sent by email, ...

echo %file  ?

anyone know if alias will be updated in REBOL3 to support paths? 
 I would like to do something such as:

alias 'find/any "myfind" 

Currently, the alpha that I have gives an error that says:

** Script error: alias does not allow path! for its word argument

No, nor should it. ALIAS is just for aliasing words to other words, 
primarily for internationalization. What you want is function wrappers, 
made easier with the APPLY native function in REBOL 3.

Yeah I do that now with stuff such as:

>> myfind: func [s v][find/any s v]
>> myfind "God is Great" "G?e"
== "Great"


I'll look into 'apply as I have been wanting to dig deeper into what 
REBOL3 is offering.

http://www.hmkdesign.dk/rebol/files/4b1cf5b6f8dbd87dfc957a59e16dcf4e-107.html

so now we can do a little bit of skinning :-)

Henrik, that is sick (meaning very good).

now things are moving. yesterday: select new skin after closing and 
opening window. today: switch between multiple skins on the fly in 
the same window. tomorrow: .... multiple skins simultaneously in 
the same window. :-)

Are rebol2 core programs going to work on r3?  Is another alpha of 
r3 about ready to be released?

the next R3 release will be unicode based. It will not be very compatible 
with R2 programs. A few scripts and one-liners will run.

Louis, you may have read about it,  but at one point there was even 
a discussion that R3 could not be called REBOL anymore, due to the 
numerous changes in the language caused by Unicode. It was decided 
not to change it.

so yes, there will be many compatibility issues, but it will definitely 
be for the better.

I remember that. I wrote r3 because it's easier.  :>)   Perhaps it 
should just be called 3.  That  is even easier to write.

Will we have another alpha soon?

as soon as the Unicode internal alphas are debugged, yes