[SailfishDevel] When does Jolla give us an API?

[Putze Sven]

Hi,

On 03.02.2014, at 16:58, David Greaves <david.greaves at jolla.com> wrote:

> On 03/02/14 15:29, Putze Sven wrote:
>> Hi there,
>> 
>> during Fosdem I spoke to some people about this, even to Carsten Munk from
>> Jolla itself (not in the depth and detail of this mail, I must admit) and he
>> suggested to write this in the mailing list, so those of Jolla who should be
>> concerned have a chance to answer this question and I really would like to
>> hear some official statements here.
> 
> Did you manage to get to the round-table event? - we spent a fair bit of time
> talking about APIs there; we also openly discussed the issues we face.
> 
> I know that the community people there wanted to continue the discussion.

Yes, I got there but many people of the mailing list did not. From my point of view there is a discussion to be continued, one of the reasons I brought this topic up here. But IMHO it's not *just* a community thing, Jolla can't simply flinch and point at the community when it's getting unpleasant.
Of course they can, but IMHO they shouldn't ;-)


> 
>> What does a developer need to write quality apps? An API and a documentation
>> of such.
>> 
>> So far there is a quite limited API available and therefore we don't see too
>> many apps out there. How will you write a sophisticated app, if the API is
>> not available or it is not allowed to use or is only known to those with
>> Maemo/Meego history?
> 
> A quick response: we support the Qt API and rather than developing our own
> proprietary one we're working hard to support the open one as it grows.
> 
> The Qt documentation is extensive and superb :)

As pointed out from others, it's not simply done with the Qt documentation.
The Sailfish OS is built upon many libraries, frameworks and layers. But which one is to use? Is naming the building blocks enough?
I am not writing this to run down other people or to make Jolla look bad. I am staying a pain in the ass because I truly believe that there is a gap and it needs to be filled. If you "only" want to address the geeky Linux approved developer with Meego background, this may be just enough to keep this eco system alive. Even if it does not seem this way right now, I *want* you to have success!
If you want to attract mobile developers that are in the iOS, Android or even Windows Mobile universe right now, you need to offer them something more. Right now they are in a comfort zone.

Besides that the Qt documentation is extensive and maybe extraordinary for an open source project, but it has much headroom for improvement^^.

> Using it in Sailfish Silica apps is less well documented but is improving (and
> honestly is mainly a tutorial issue for new developers - not an API docs issue).

That depends on the definition of a new developer.
If *new* means "new to the platform" then it's exactly the kind of developer and the problems they will have, that's what the whole topic is about. Try to see it from this perspective: I *am* new to the platform, hence not (yet) wearing rose-colored glassed. And maybe - just maybe - I (still) ask the right questions.

BR.
Sven

When I write you, it's not so much you as in "David", it's more like in "Jolla" ;-)

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