[webkit-dev] WebKit/WebKit/win Classes

[Brent Fulgham]

I recently proposed a patch
(https://bugs.webkit.org/show_bug.cgi?id=23027) to the
Windows-specific WebKit layer (WebKit/WebKit/win), which changed some
types from CoreGraphics to WebCore/GraphicsContext types.  This was
rejected because the WebCore classes are apparently not meant to be
used at the WebKit level.

I have brought this topic up in the past (most recently
https://lists.webkit.org/pipermail/webkit-dev/2008-December/005996.html),
because it seems silly to me to have a full Windows implementation
(supporting various platform needs, such as drag/drop handlers, COM
initialization, etc.) living in WebKit/WebKit/win, but be forced to
duplicate the majority of it because I can't redistribute CFNetwork,
CoreGraphics, and so forth.  I had believed that the road towards
using the generic GraphicContext types was acceptable based on these
earlier discussions, but was apparently mistaken.

At this point, there seem to be a few alternatives to my goal of a
WebKit.dll I can redistribute to users on Windows:

1.  Duplicate WebKit/WebKit/win (perhaps WebKit/WebKit/winCairo) and
simply replace the CoreGraphics calls with Cairo calls in the handful
of files that need them.
2.  Accept a patch along the lines of my proposal, in which the
CoreGraphics and Cairo types are typedefs based on compile arguments.
3.  Convince the powers that be at Apple to permit redistribution of
CoreGraphics.dll and CFNetwork.

My preferred choice would be #2 (well, actually -- I would be
overjoyed if #3 were an option, but I won't hold me breath!), but I
will pursue #1 if that is my only option.

Could the WebKit core team please let me know which path I can take,
so that I can create an appropriate patch and move on?  I just want to
know what I can do to make progress on this project.

Thanks,

-Brent