Current Status

We are currently working hard on building a stable base on which Étoilé will be constructed.

The current Étoilé release is 0.4.1, which features:

• LanguageKit, an LLVM-based compiler for dynamic languages (currently featuring Smalltalk)
• CoreObject, our object database with message-based persistency and versioning
• EtoileUI, the flexible UI layer we will use for composite document editors, desktop-publishing user interfaces, collection-based applications, etc.

Roadmap

0.4.2 (January 2011)

• EtoileUI first official/usable release. Features detailed here.
• Stable and more polished LanguageKit. Major additions are:
  • new AST interpreter
  • Just-Too-Late compilation
  • float litteral support
  • various speed improvements
  • optimization passes with the new GNU runtime (e.g. type-driven feedback for inlining)
  • Mac OS X support but limited to the interpreter
  • Smalltalk block variables a la Squeak
  • debugging support
  • more friendly parsing/compilation error reporting
  • replaced the C bridge between LLVM C++ and LK ObjC with ObjC++
• Switch from GCC to Clang compiler and the new GNU runtime version 2 inspired by the Étoilé runtime
  • ObjC 2 support (properties, non-fragile ivars, fast enumeration etc.)
  • block support
  • optimization passes
• ObjectiveC2 abstraction layer (now merged into GNUstep Base)
• Cleaned EtoileFoundation
• Major additions to EtoileFoundation:
  • rich HOM and block API based on a common model (clang compatible)
  • new Mirror-based Reflection built on top of the new ObjectiveC2 abstraction layer (leveraged by EtoileUI)
  • metamodel inspired by FAME and Magritte
  • various improvements and additions
• Cleaned XMPPKit
• Completed EtoileSerialize XML backend and sending objects over XMPP
• Switch from Camaelon to GNUstep theming
• Rewriting of the menu support to have a EtoileWildMenus as minimal as possible. Most of it should be discontinued or merged into GNUstep

0.4.3 (Spring 2011)

User-visible Stuff:

• Generic Object Manager prototype written in Smalltalk+CO+EUI
• Structured/Compound/Graphics document editor first preview
• Updated Mélodie that uses the latest EUI API, supporting undo/redo and pick/drop
• PhotoManager first preview
• Polished Nesedah and Narcissus themes with the new GNUstep theme engine

Developer Stuff:

• EtoileText first release. EtoileText enables semantic and structured text editing with transparent persistence and history.
• Cleaned EtoileSerialize and CoreObject:
  • ETSerialObjectStore protocol which represents a full object with all its history rather than just a branch this will allow to remove code in CO that more or less simulates that)
  • COObject hierarchy returns proxies and not real instances (which means the object graph restoration code can be simplified)
  • the possibility to update/migrate the database schema. We should at least handle basic addition/removal of columns/tables without deleting the old database
  • FUSE bridge (to be committed and cleaned)
  • EtoileUI backend (already committed in EtoileUI/CoreObjectBackend, but needs to be cleaned)
  • concurrency control
  • update/notification to push changes to processes that access the same core objects concurrently
• EtoileUI major additions:
  • CoreObject-based persistence of layout item trees
  • affine transform and rotation support
  • aspect repository and versatile styling mechanism
  • viewpoints to create arbitrary views/projections of on an object graph
  • more tools (e.g. Zoom tool)
• Video support in MediaKit and a video player
• OMeta may be and new Smalltalk parser based on it
• Fully cleaned EtoileFoundation (e.g. mixins, prototype support for the new GNU runtime)

0.4.x

User-visible Stuff:

• Working prototype of ProjectManager
• Working prototype of OverlayShelf
• CodeMonkey IDE first preview
• EtoileUI-based UI builder first preview (will evolve to something closer to Flash/Hypercard in the long run)
• Inbox first preview. Inbox is generic messaging UI, hence it may supercede StepChat.
• Structured text editor based on EtoileText and EtoileUI
• Working Terminal

Developer Stuff:

• EScript (JavaScript dialect atop LanguageKit)
• Stable and really usable CoreObject. This means to have probably most of these:
  • deletion model & garbage collector
  • basic indexing/querying of metadatas
  • versioning of structured content into a single persistent root (aka object bundle)
  • UTI-based supercasting mechanism to look up components/services based on their role and their ability to operate on the targeted object type.
• EtoileUI major additions:
  • plugin/component machinery to package and load aspects and document components on the fly (might be implemented as a small standalone framework)
  • connectors and basic diagramming abilities (to be used in the UI builder)
  • basic animation support (if and how we integrate it with CoreAnimation in the long run is still undecided)
  • more CoreObject integration
  • integration with AppKit text system (text block chaining etc.)
• EtoilePaint, a hybrid vector/bitmap graphics editing framework built on top of EtoileUI
• SystemConfig progresses (keyboard configuration etc.)
• SystemConfig and DBusKit integration
• AddressBook and BookmarkKit on top of CoreObject
• Cleaned EtoileXML
• Fully cleaned XMPPKit (API naming and consistency check)
• Fully cleaned UnitKit
• Mock object testing for UnitKit

0.5

In 2011 we hope to release Étoilé 0.5, which will be our first release aimed at users - it will be a functioning preview of the desktop environment we have been planning and developing for the past five years.

Planned features are:

• Working services, using EtoileUI and CoreObject:
  • Mélodie
  • Photo manager
  • Generic Object manager
  • CodeMonkey IDE
  • Structured graphics editor
  • Structured text editor (typewriter/outliner)
  • Address Book
• Message Store system
• Desktop notification system
• ProjectManager
• Fully polished themes (Narcissus and/or Nesedah)