Why is the OpenDylan IDE only on Windows?

We're often asked when the IDE will show up on Linux or Mac OS X.

Unfortunately, the answer to this is rather complex because the IDE consists of multiple pieces, all of which have separate portability issues.


The Existing IDE

DUIM - The GUI Framework

The biggest reason that the IDE is only on Windows is that it uses the DUIM framework which hasn't yet been ported away from Windows in a functioning and well-maintained manner. (An experimental GTK+ port has existed in the past, but it doesn't currently compile.)

Code Browsers and Inspectors

The code browsers and inspectors pull their information from frameworks that are independent of the GUI. It is possible to use this information separately from the IDE itself. The DIME environment for emacs supplies some of this functionality. The Hula project (now defunct) provided some of this functionality as well via a web-based interface.

This is actually an exciting set of features that our compiler provides. While many other languages have to glue IDE functionality on as a separate set of libraries, Open Dylan's compiler supports it internally from the ground up.

Debugging

The debugger depends on a couple of key components:

  • A ...
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