Design decisions for new Protocol: Adium vs Libpurple

[John Bailey]

On 06/26/2010 03:34 PM, Bob Tanner wrote:
> The  current client is written in C and is tightly integrated to the
> server code base.  Initial attempts to make a client library (similar to
> Bonjour's libezv) have lead to the decision to write a client protocol
> library outside of the current server code base.
> 
> Should I write the plugin in Adium (Objc) or look to wrap it inside
> libpurple?

First off, full disclosure--I'm a libpurple developer, thus I am obviously
biased.  I would personally choose to make my protocol plugin a libpurple plugin
and create the necessary glue wrappings for Adium on top of the libpurple plugin.

> As I understand it, libpurple plugin would give a larger selection of IM
> front-ends (pidgin, finch, Adium). Does it give me more?

A libpurple plugin will give you a broader user base than just Adium.  A
libpurple protocol plugin that is designed properly (that is, absolutely no UI
code that *doesn't* use libpurple's request and notify API's and keeping
portability among OS X, Linux, other UNIX systems, and Windows in mind) will
automatically work in Pidgin, Finch, Instantbird, and any other non-Adium
libpurple client.  Supporting Adium can then be done by simply wrapping the
libpurple plugin in the necessary Objective-C glue.  So, yes, I'd say writing
for libpurple gives you more.

John


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