[webkit-dev] wx/Gtk+ and Network backends

[Holger Freyther]

Hey,

I'm a bit alarmed by the wild growth of network backends for the Gtk+ port, 
the pending patches in the bugtracker and the duplication of things that are 
ahead and have already started.

Currently we have a CURL backend shared by Gtk+ and wx. The good thing is it 
is shared between the two ports. The bad things are. We have no GEventLoop 
integration on Gtk+ and will poll curl with a timer. It lacks uploading of 
files (a good looking patch is in the bug tracker), it lacks cookie handling 
(also a good patch in the bug tracker), authentication is missing as well.


Recently a libsoup based backend got added. I assume it has event loop 
integration, from blogs I know that upstream has looked into cookies. Which 
probably leaves authentication, cookie management, form uploads, sync loading 
of resources open as well.


Mike just proposed another CURL backend that will fix the above event loop 
handling (from what I see).


The first bugs for CURL already have attachments like "Do this for SOUP as 
well". So the duplication of effort already started.


What I like to have answered/see is:
	- Is it a strict requirement that Gtk+/WX share the same backend? (I think 
	  not)

	- Can we please just use one backend for the Gtk+ port? We do not use DRT in 
a sane way so it will be a hell to maintain three backends and make sure that 
all of them have the same amount of features. E.g. the first consequence 
would be to have three build bots running for the three backends..


So please before wasting more time on implementing the same things for 
different backends let us wotk on one together. I do not care if it is 
curl+glib, soup, neon...


z.