New Python/C# Bindings Expand KDE Languages

Dre writes: "Today marks a special coincidence. First, Adam Treat released the initial version of Qt bindings for C#, which consists of 476 Qt classes converted to C#. The bindings work with the Mono compiler, runtime environment and class libraries, enabling a fully Open Source implementation of C# for Qt. While not yet ready for a real application, Adam has managed to write and execute a Hello World! program (screenshot). KDE bindings are on the drawing board. Shortly thereafter, Phil Thompson, Jim Bublitz and theKompany.com released KDE 2 and KDE 3 bindings for Python. Together with the Java, Objective C and C bindings in the kdebindings module, as well as the Ruby bindings, KDE is providing developers a broad gamut of application development languages."

Re:Why?

[WasterDave]

I agree with you. It's all completely barking mad. We really need one, maybe two languages that developers can rally behind. One is C/C++, depending on whether you're in the Gnome or KDE camps (-1, Flamebait). The other should maybe be Java (-2, Pisses off Python jockies), although the open source-iness of Java is currently under some debate. Perhaps Perl? Given it's solid backing in the scripting / admin community, it would make a sensible choice.

So, choose our language, and get some support behind it. Witness the wonder that is KDevelop :) And get some good documentation, which was part of Miguel's reasoning to use .net.

But, yes, bollocks to C#

Dave

Languages are like hammers

[torkar]

You're missing the point.

You pick the language you are familiar with or most importantly of all - the language that makes it easier for you to solve a problem (doesn't matter if it's scientifical app or GUI or ..)

Languages are just like a regular tool, you pick the right one to do the job.
If you want to do some heavy crunching you pick a heavy hammer (fortran, C) and vice versa.

In this case they want people to use *their* favourite language to make GUI applications for KDE.

Re:Why?

[Chmarr]

The more languages supported, the better.

If I have to rewrite my 20,000 line application just so I can have a KDE-native version, then I'm probably not going to do it. However, if all I need to do is link in with a particular binding, and change some of the interface stuff, then things seem much more likely.

One should be looking at things from a "The Right Tool for the Right Job", and you can't answer that question with support for just one or two languages, or even 5. There are going to be applications that call for a particular set of languages and libraries. Its not your choice to decide what the 'right' language is, but instead the application developer.