Re: Can we go GTK-only?

[Ken Raeburn <raeburn@raeburn.org>]

On Oct 28, 2016, at 09:35, Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca> wrote:

> As for splitting Gtk support into its own backend separate from the
> x*.c ones.  It sounds like a good idea, but I wish it were an occasion
> to do at least one of two things:
> - *start* adding support for "multi backend" support (i.e. being able to
>  build Emacs such that it can have simultaneously an ns-frame,
>  a Gtk-frame, and a Lucid-frame (and maybe even a w32-frame via Wine ;-)).

Yes, please!  I’ve often wanted to have NS and X11 windows open in one process.  Though where at least some of these libraries want to own the top-level event processing loop, it could get interesting.

I wonder if we should let them run their event loops, in their own threads, and separate that from the non-GUI events like subprocesses and timers, and from Lisp evaluation, as much as possible.  For that matter, some of the subprocess handling could probably use helper threads, like for TLS encryption and decryption work.

> - reduce the amount of code duplication between the various backends
>  (ns/w32/gtk/x/…).

…and get away from the “everything emulates an X toolkit” approach.

Ken