Post ASol3kgyaPgc9kGS3M by blake@fosstodon.org
(DIR) More posts by blake@fosstodon.org
(DIR) Post #ASokRwO8eTr1QXQJGK by blake@fosstodon.org
2023-02-18T20:50:26Z
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I'm starting to think it would be easier to create a #XMPP gateway to #Matrix _and_ a Matrix client than it is to just create a client for XMPP...
(DIR) Post #ASokRwv6fuE34mqdeK by jr@social.anoxinon.de
2023-02-18T21:29:12Z
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@blake why do you think so?
(DIR) Post #ASokRxVySpiSv8657A by blake@fosstodon.org
2023-02-18T22:03:13Z
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@jr I've been looking into a good way to write an XMPP client for a while but there are either no good libraries or no good UI. I've written a Matrix application service and a Matrix client before, and those aren't too difficult to make in any framework, although XMPP is lighter with a lot of similar features, so I've been interested in developing for that.
(DIR) Post #ASokRy4MOzDodmBXiC by jcbrand@mastodon.xyz
2023-02-18T22:17:34Z
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@blake @jr Wouldn't you as client developer be responsible for the UI?
(DIR) Post #ASokW1jUiuGVA2MRAu by blake@fosstodon.org
2023-02-18T22:18:21Z
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@jcbrand @jr By "UI" I meant toolkits, stuff like Jetpack Compose, Flutter, GTK, QT...
(DIR) Post #ASokdzBY4wdbZoHIqf by jcbrand@mastodon.xyz
2023-02-18T22:19:48Z
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@blake @jr How does Matrix have better GTK support?
(DIR) Post #ASol3kgyaPgc9kGS3M by blake@fosstodon.org
2023-02-18T22:24:27Z
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@jcbrand @jr I'm referring to the rest of the tech stack altogether. Most languages with i.e. GTK support also have good HTTPS and JSON support (which Matrix uses). XML is supported pretty well across languages, although TCP and TLS directly (which XMPP uses), not so much...There also seem to be more well-made Matrix SDKs (and clients) than XMPP SDKs (and clients), although maybe that's just my opinion of what "well-made" is.
(DIR) Post #ASomIvBXxIi0zvMPtA by blake@fosstodon.org
2023-02-18T22:30:11Z
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@jcbrand @jr While Qt is cross platform and is supported by many languages (making finding a good XMPP SDK easier), it's (in my opinion) really crusty and looks awful. GTK is better but I don't get as much design freedom. I'd like to stick as close to native as possible while having as broad support as possible. That's why I like Flutter so much, it's a great best-of-both-worlds, but its XMPP support is rather lacking.
(DIR) Post #ASomIvn7halasSwQSW by jcbrand@mastodon.xyz
2023-02-18T22:38:24Z
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@blake @jr Thanks for explaining. I wouldn't be surprised if the XMPP dev experience is much worse than Matrix.For one, due to HTTP/JSON being more familiar to devs, but also because Matrix got a lot of VC money which they could use to develop for the ecosystem.The XMPP community is mostly run by volunteers and everything is on a shoestring budget of around zero.The main exception with XMPP is the server companies who do good business. But they don't care about SDKs for clients.