Removing C++ SDK examples, clearly encouraging Python extensions (was: LibreOffice prints on tuesdays)

[Bjoern Michaelsen]

Hi,

On Wed, Apr 03, 2013 at 10:56:46AM +0200, Thorsten Behrens wrote:
> I don't think this is quite the message I want to convey to the
> ecosystem. 

Then "someone" needs to fix the examples. As that did not happen dispite it
being a well-known issue, it makes little sense to wait for a miracle any
longer. As is, the C++ stuff is not helping. Quite the opposite. If nobody
steps up for that, it better to kill that then leaving this booby trap
lingering around. Not doing so is even more distructive.

> As much as LibO core is nailed to c++
> eternally, so are other people's backends.

As much as it it is perverted, I would prefer people to bind their backend to
Python and Python to LibreOffice than trying their luck with C++ and failing
miserably on that, just because "UNO should be able to do that". The first
gives a ugly but working solution, while the second never enters the ecosystem.

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worse_is_better

is a powerful concept -- and in this case it means: let people get something
working out in Python, for possible migration to C++ later.

For all realistic scenarios UNO does _not_ deliver in the mentioned scenarios:
It is not usable by the target market -- and that is all that matters. FWIW I
have some relatives working on industry solutions -- they also integrate with
Office products. If someone working in such projects gets one day to get some
basic setup running for working on LibreOffice integrations, he is lucky (more
likely are 2-3 hours). Currently only the Python stuff allows you to get
results in that timeframe. The C++ stuff is scaring away contributors that
would have settled for something working (like the Python stuff).

And just because we dont advertise C++ SDK usage on the webpages anymore,
doesnt mean that we wouldnt support someone trying to do that (hey, that guy
might even provide working examples than).

Consider this: _Iff_ there would be a huge interest in doing enterprisy C++
integration for LibreOffice, there are two possible outcomes: We would either
be swamped with bug reports and outrage on the documentation or people silently
give up. We are clearly not seeing the first.

Best,

Bjoern