realbasic-games
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Re: New OpenGL plugin

To: REALbasic Games <realbasic-games at lists dot realsoftware dot com>
Subject: Re: New OpenGL plugin
From: John Balestrieri <mrjohn at tinrocket dot com>
Date: Thu, 8 Dec 2005 10:23:20 -0500
Delivered-to: realbasic-games at lists dot realsoftware dot com
References: <BFBCC837 dot 6F1E%mauitom at maui dot net> <95fd18c5526687dcc7776ef1d2284ee3 at fireyesoftware dot com> <DE680FE7-96FC-4681-9D5D-E6EB5F87573A at chaoticbox dot com> <F3C617B9-78AE-4A50-BF07-2F3E9EB81AF4 at tinrocket dot com> <EEA0B1DD-6435-4A8B-903B-5AF6F37FD778 at charcoaldesign dot co dot uk>
I should have clarified that the OpenGL is the only plugin component of the next SuperSpriteSurface version.

John


On Dec 8, 2005, at 5:38 AM, Nick Lockwood wrote:

Is it just me who thinks that switching to plugins is a retrograde step?

Advantages of declares:

- Easy for end users to add features, such as additional commands for obscure ARB extensions, or even support for other platforms
        - Easy for end users to find and correct bugs
        - Open source! Whoo! Freedom!
        - No nasty DLLS deployed on end user's PC
- Reduced application size because unused code can be excluded (slightly offset by poor RB code optimisation versus gcc, but we're getting there) - Debugger will return useful results even when code errors occur inside a declare wrapper function - Support for cool syntax stuff that isn't well supported in the plugin architecture yet (param arrays, module-scoped methods, array objects) - When RB is updated to make x86-compatible fat binaries, code based on declares will still work, but plugins will need a new version - Will still work even after developer gets bored and stops supporting it (especially relevant given previous point)
        
Advantages of plugins

        - Slightly faster, sometimes
- Easier to include in all your projects (support for plugins written in RB please RS!)
        - Wait, I just had it.... no, it's gone

Nick

On 8 Dec 2005, at 09:21, John Balestrieri wrote:

The next release of SuperSpriteSurface is driven by a plugin. :-)

John

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