[p2p-hackers] iGlance is here!

[David Barrett]

On Sun, 6 Nov 2005 8:45 am, Ian Clarke wrote:
> Its about time someone did this :-)

I thought so too! :)  Push-to-talk is a nice middle-ground, and the 
video presence is really quite powerful when both sides have cameras.


> It seems like you are pretty heavily reliant on windows stuff though,  
> any plans for Mac or Linux versions?  How portable is the code?

Actually, there are very few windows dependencies and platform 
portability was a design goal from the outset.  All the file, threads, 
TLS, sockets, and base stuff currently cross compiles between Windows 
and Linux (and WinCE for a bit, but I pulled it).  Generally libpig is 
very thin, and almost all of the platform specific code is one in one 
file (GNonPortable_Win32.cpp/_Linux.cpp).

The "thickest" part of libpig is the audio/video capture/playback part 
as that depends heavily on the platform, but the external API is very 
minimal.

Another somewhat "thick" area is the GUI.  But I've sliced this into two 
layers:
- A platform dependent "display RGBA bitmap and return input events" 
architecture
- A platform independent, XML-based, HTML-like, skinnable GUI engine

The intent behind libpig is to create thin cross-compile layer, rather 
than a application design philosophy.  Sorta the difference between 
OpenGL and DirectX -- I want it to fit into my architecture, and not 
architect around its design.

My original intent was to just use APR, ACE, Qt, Boost, etc, but I found 
myself confused by deep polymorphic trees, esoteric programming 
practices, compilation problems, licensing problems, and so on.  
Eventually I decided my needs were so minimal that I'd just go my own 
way, and I don't regret the decision in the least.


> I personally use a Mac, but I will give this a try on Virtual PC.

Excellent.  Incidentally, I'm extremely eager to do a Mac port (I spend 
most my life in coffeeshops -- for which iGlance is idealy suited -- and 
Macs outnumber PCs maybe 2:1).  But I don't know jack about the 
platform, it doesn't work well in VM ware, and I don't want to lug 
around two laptops.

If anyone is interested in bringing iGlance to the Mac, I am *all 
ears*.

> All the best,

-david