Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by mitchty 2319 days ago
Well it might be more than just a feature request.

Think along the lines of wireshark, you can separate out the underlying code to do the work in a library, then use that in a cli and gui. If you're working on a cli app yourself, that "feature request" might hit things you just don't have the will to do. I know me making any sort of gui is going to end up a tire fire, and the work to cleanly separate out the code from the cli to a library usable by both is also a bunch of work for what appears to be a at best nice to have "feature".
1 comments
codegladiator 2318 days ago
> you just don't have the will to do

Sure, will to do, is one thing. Consider I request the curl dev to make a gui for it. would you find it unreasonable because everyone is okay with cli ?

I just cannot justify any reason apart from the convenience of using gui to develop that.

> separate out the code from the cli to a library usable by both is also a bunch of work

The time and amount of work is in my opinion not just about the amount of work, because if that was the case why develop even the cli and opensource it ?

Make a GUI is just a different beast compared to CLI.

link
mitchty 2318 days ago
> Consider I request the curl dev to make a gui for it. would you find it unreasonable because everyone is okay with cli ?

Yes, as libcurl exists and gui's can be done by someone else more knowledgeable with them. Plus gui's for what exactly? The web? macos? windows? X? playstation? even asking for a gui is a bit vague and an incomplete request I would reject outright without at least going: i want this.

I'd solve this by going, sounds good, you're the best person for it so far and now have write access to create a branch and get us there with the itch to scratch it.

> Make a GUI is just a different beast compared to CLI.

Agreed, but the effort can be disproportionate to the gains the submitter might get. And if this is something i'm doing for myself, to be blunt, I don't got time for that kind of effort. And more bluntness, nobody could make me do it, my time is my own and I have to balance that against other things. If you ask for it you better believe I'm going to say its now on you to do as I have neither the skills nor desire to invest my own time on this. I'll gladly help you out getting there but that is about as far as I'm willing to go.

I feel that is fair. Others may disagree.

link
codegladiator 2318 days ago
I think you are just agreeing with what I said.

> Plus gui's for what exactly

GUI is a huge separate feature request and not "criticism" per say.

> but the effort can be disproportionate

Hence the different beast.

Like I said, I just cannot justify any reason apart from the convenience of using gui to develop that.

link
mitchty 2318 days ago
> I think you are just agreeing with what I said.

Pretty much yep! I think we both agree asking for gui support is likely to get shot down by most maintainers. And not for any reason than its a big ask.

> GUI is a huge separate feature request and not "criticism" per say.

I've seen a lot of people even on HN complain about cli only things. I'm not sure everyone would agree its a feature request.

link