Andreas Raab wrote:
>How can we bring things in the "main distribution" then? As far as I
>understand the problem is not that of "being in the main distribution" but
>rather of "letting people know that this particular application exists".
>How many people out there _do_ actually know the contents of the
>app/goodies directory at the ftp servers?
>
>Letting people know that the application is only a (ftp-)fingertip away,
>however, is a completely different issue. I could think of a scheme of
>"remotely loadable applications" in which the actual image only contains
>the names and the (ftp or http) locations of these apps. Then, while in
>the image you can have a look at these apps. If you want to try one, you
>just click on "download" and the app is being fetched from the next ftp
>server around the corner. Or it can fetch a description first, or tell you
>what other apps are required first if it has been tested with your current
>image/vm version or whatever.
>
>Ok, now back to the coordination issue. Given that we would use this
>sort of remotely loadable apps, all we need for coordination is actually
>dropping a note to Squeak Central saying: "Well here is this app called
>MyGreatSqueakApplication and its on ftp://ftp.nowhere.domain/pub/myApp"
>This doesn't sound like big deal to neither the author or Squeak Central
>and could probably easily managed.

Good analysis! I like your idea of filing in applications directly
from an FTP or HTTP server at the click of a button. However, I'd
suggest using the Squeak Wiki to advertise applications and their
URL's rather than Squeak Central. That way, application information
can be updated by the application maintainer directly as often
as necessary. If this information were maintained in the image
by Squeak Central (say in the System Workspace or a similar window),
then it would only be updated once per release cycle.

To support this mode of use, I've created a new area on the Squeak
Wiki (http://c2.com:8080) entitled "SqueakApplications", and added
an example entry for Georg's Web Server. (Georg, I hope you don't mind.
Feel free to edit it!)

I also added a page entitled "ApplicationedWanted", similar to the
PortWishList page. This may help coordinate sets of people interested
in porting some application (such as T-Gen) to Squeak.

Wiki's are easy, wiki's are slick,
Check out the Squeak wiki,
It really is quick!

	-- John