[Reality] Faucet API & class, round 1

[Glyph Lefkowitz]

On Thu, 16 Mar 2000, Michael Dartt wrote:

> Clarification: the GUI API is basically us saying, "If you write a
> front-end, could you please name your functions and variables/widgets/etc.
> according to these guidelines?"  So it's really just an interface--no
> official code to go with it.

Okay.  I draw your attention to lines 280-290 of protocol.py:


	def __init__(self):
		self.commands={CMD_Hears: self.hear,
				CMD_SetName: self.name,
				CMD_DescAppend: self.describe,
				CMD_SetTheme: self.theme,
				CMD_DescClear: self.desc_clear,
				CMD_ListClear: self.list_clear,
				CMD_Exits: self.exits,
				CMD_ListAdd: self.list_add,
				CMD_ListRemove: self.list_remove,
				CMD_CompletedAction: self.reactivate}

I'd say that that little snippit fairly clearly defines an interface,
wouldn't you? ;-)

> The criteria I used for splitting stuff up was that the GUI stuff only
> deals with toolkit-specific issues--widgets, displaying info, etc.  The
> Faucet module will handle the manipulation and storage of the information,
> since that's common to all clients, no matter what toolkit is being used.
> Finally, the front-end won't be ignorant of the stuff in Faucet.py, b/c
> it'll inherit from it.

I don't think that the data would be useful; as I said in my last email,
each GUI is going to have to store the data in a different format,
especially if there's going to be tree or other list-type widget being
used for the item display stuff.  The only thing that might be useful is
the description handling.

> The point of this is to make it easier to develop Faucets--the only thing
> one has to do is write the GUI code.

It's pretty close to that right now, looking at what we've got... maybe it
could be better documented...

> As far as merging Faucet.py with FaucetProtocol, I'm a bit leery of that
> b/c the protocol implies the means by which the Faucet interacts with the
> Pump, rather than how the Faucet operates internally.

I guess, but the distinction seems academic to me.  Is there ever
somewhere you'd want to use a Faucet protocol without using a Faucet?

> Does this clear things up?

a bit.

> --Mike


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