[webkit-gtk] WebKit2 GTK+ API

[Alejandro Garcia Castro]

On Thu, Sep 15, 2011 at 11:50:22AM +0200, Carlos Garcia Campos wrote:
>
> [...]
> 
> Since it's a big change, I would like to share some general ideas I
> have about the new API so that we can discuss them. 
> 
>  - Try to keep webkit1 API when possible to make porting apps easier.
>  - Use async API following the glib/gio pattern for operations started
>    by the user like loading a page, finding text, etc. that has an end.

I've talked to Carlos and just wanted to do some clarifications about
what this would mean. Developers will have to use an API where they add
the callbacks for the function instead of connecting to signals, for
instance, load uri was:

   webkit_web_view_load_uri         (WebKitWebView *webView,
                                     const gchar   *uri);

And now would be:

   webkit_web_view_load_uri         (WebKitWebView      *web_view,
                                     const gchar        *uri,
                                     GCancellable       *cancellable,
                                     WebKitLoadProgressCallback progress_callback,
                                     gpointer progress_callback_data,
                                     GAsyncReadyCallback callback,
                                     gpointer            user_data);

libsoup is also using currently this same kind of solution [1]. I
can think that developers would not ask anymore how to get the load
progress, but the second API is uglier when you see it side by
side. It is also true that the first one will also have code defining
the signals that is not here. 

It feels more natural to define all the data for the operation instead
of connectin signals that are going to be there even though the
operation is over. But this change goes against the first point
so we have to be sure it makes sense. 

Just tried to add some more information, personally I'm still not sure
which option we should choose or if we have to use the same for all
this notifications, so please, dicuss!! 

I'm adding Alexl and Company to the CC because they have experience
with this async API.

br

[1] http://developer.gnome.org/gio/stable/GAsyncResult.html#GAsyncResult.description