[MonoDevelop] Why MonoDevelop doesn't use GtkTextView/GtkSourceView?

[Mike Krüger]

Hi
>>> In summary, if you still remember how GtkTextView works, what should be
>>> improved or changed in GtkTextView?
>> It has been ~7 years last time I looked at it. Everything I knew about it
>> may not be true anymore.
>> But having a default folding implementation would be a good start for IDE
>> use.
> Well, I and other gedit developers don't really feel the need for the
> code folding. I prefer to have the file structure (e.g. list of
> functions) in a side panel. But it is planned to have a basic API in
> GtkSourceView (to add/remove fold points, with a gutter component).
>
> So apart from the lack of multi-threaded architecture (and maybe also
> the snapshot), there is no fundamental problem with GtkTextView.
>
Code folding isn't THE feature I really had in mind with 
Mono.TextEditor. In fact I never use it - but it's one of these things a 
text editor component has to offer for IDE use. All modern IDEs are 
using that.

I don't see a fundamental problem with Mono.TextEditor as well :)
It's suitable for .NET/Mono use. 2007 it might have been possible for us 
to stay with GtkSourceView & add enhancements to it.

But I made the text editor for SharpDevelop before I joined the mono 
team and therefore had the knowledge how an editor can be done. If one 
of the GtkSourceView devs would've joined the monodevelop team things 
may be different - and maybe even better - today.

There are other .NET editors as well - I suspect that even more free 
editor components will be written ...

Writing editors is something that won't stop in the future. It would be 
really nice if the open source world would focus on one 
editor/language/operating system/desktop UI to focus the strength on 
fewer - but better - products. But that's not realistic.

There are different point of views about almost everything. And that has 
benefits as well - otherwise we wouldn't have SublimeText - they're 
using OpenGL blitting for text output - that's awesome :).

Mono.TextEditor is good for people with .NET/C# knowledge - they do not 
need the C/GTK skill set for changing/extending it - that's nice as 
well. And GtkSourceView is a mighty compeonent that can be used in C 
based GTK applications for making it easier to implement editing. I see 
a reason & purpose of that.

Regards
Mike