GNOME Goal: Remove deprecated GLib symbols

Summary

The goal is to remove the deprecated GLib symbols (functions, structs, macros, etc.) and replace them with something that fits better (usually a newer symbol). This has to be done for each GNOME module (application or library).

Guidelines for modules written in C/C++

For help on these symbols, just give a look at the list of the deprecated GLib symbols. This list is always up-to-date, as it's generated for each version of GLib.

Step 1: Detect if the module uses deprecated symbols

You don't need to compile the module for that. Just get its source code, a file that contains the deprecated symbols to look for, and use the egrep command to look for deprecated symbols in the module source code. For example, the following command uses a file that contains the name of the deprecated symbols, and looks for them in each source file:

egrep -n -R -f ~/glib-deprecated-symbols.txt path/to/the/module

Step 2: Compile the module

Compile the module without doing any modifications, just to make sure you're able to compile it without errors. You should be able to compile it alone.

Step 3: Compile the module with the deprecated symbols disabled

Compile the module again, but this time, define the G_DISABLE_DEPRECATED symbol, which will disable deprecated GLib symbols. There's more than one way to do it. You can for example use :

make CFLAGS+="-DG_DISABLE_DEPRECATED"

If you're using Jhbuild, you can make him use this setting by adding the following line to your .jhbuildrc (and putting the right module name)

module_makeargs['name-of-the-module'] = makeargs + 'CFLAGS+="-DG_DISABLE_DEPRECATED"'

Step 4: Replace the obsolete symbols by something that works and that is not deprecated

This is where most of the work takes place. There are several different deprecated symbols, so there's no single answer on how to do it. Sometimes the GLib documentation will give you the answer, sometimes you'll have to think by yourself.

Most of the work will consist in replacing g_strncasecmp and g_strcasecmp with the right string comparison function.

Comments before approval

Add your comments to this goal proposal here

Status of this goal

$/!\$ Note: Updated automatical stats can be found at http://people.gnome.org/~fpeters/299.html

Tip: If you choose to work on a module, create the bug report on the GNOME bugzilla. This way people will know someone already works on it, and won't duplicate the work you're doing. Please make the bug report depend on the tracker bug for this goal.

State	Markup
todo	`<: #ff8080> todo`
patch	`<: #ffc849> [[GnomeBug:xxxxx\|patch]]`
done	`<: #80ff80> [[GnomeBug:xxxxx\|done]]`
not needed	`<: #80ff80> not needed`

Above are the states and corresponding markup to update the modules state table below.

Tarball	Status
Desktop
alacarte	not needed
bug-buddy	not needed
cheese	not needed
gnome-control-center	done
dasher	not needed
deskbar-applet	not needed
eel	not needed
ekiga	done
empathy	not needed
eog	not needed
epiphany	not needed
evince	not needed
evolution-data-server	done	Some deprecated symbols still used in dead code and comments
evolution	not needed
evolution-exchange	not needed
evolution-webcal	not needed
file-roller	done
gcalctool	not needed
gconf-editor	not needed
gdm	done
gedit	not needed
gnome-applets	done
gnome-backgrounds	not needed
gnome-desktop	not needed
gnome-disk-utility	done
gnome-doc-utils	not needed
gnome-games	not needed
gnome-icon-theme	not needed
gnome-keyring	done
gnome-netstatus	done
gnome-nettool	done
gnome-mag	not needed
gnome-media	done	NB: Deprecated symbols still exist in unmaintained gnome-cd and cddb-slave2 that are not built by default
gnome-menus	not needed
gnome-panel	not needed
gnome-power-manager	not needed
gnome-python-desktop	not needed
gnome-screensaver	not needed
gnome-session	not needed
gnome-settings-daemon	not needed
gnome-speech	done
gnome-system-monitor	not needed
gnome-system-tools	not needed
gnome-terminal	not needed
gnome-themes	not needed
gnome-user-docs	not needed
gnome-utils	done
gnome-volume-manager	not needed
gok	done
gstreamer	done
gst-plugins	done
gtk-engines	done
gtkhtml	not needed
gtksourceview	done
gucharmap	not needed
gvfs	not needed
hamster	not needed
libgail-gnome	not needed
libgnomekbd	not needed
libgtop	not needed
libgweather	not needed
liboobs	not needed
librsvg	done
libsoup	done
libwnck	not needed
metacity	done
mousetweaks	not needed
nautilus	not needed
nautilus-cd-burner	not needed
orca	not needed
pygtksourceview	not needed
seahorse	done
sound-juicer	not needed
swfdec-gnome	not needed
tomboy	not needed
totem-pl-parser	done
totem	done
vinagre	not needed
vino	done
vte	done
yelp	done	deprecated symbol used in dead files that have been deleted
zenity	done
Desktop (to be deprecated)
libgnomeprint	not needed	Will be deprecated, so it isn't worth the trouble
libgnomeprintui	not needed	Will be deprecated, so it isn't worth the trouble
Platform
GConf	done
at-spi	done
atk	not needed
glib	not needed
gnome-mime-data	not needed
gnome-vfs	not needed
gtk+	done
gtk-doc	not needed
intltool	not needed
libglade	done
libxml2	not needed
libxslt	not needed
pango	done
pkgconfig	not needed
Platform (to be deprecated)
ORBit2	not needed
audiofile	not needed
esound	not needed
libIDL	not needed
libart_lgpl	not needed
libbonobo	not needed
libbonoboui	not needed
libgnome	not needed
libgnomecanvas	done
libgnomeui	not needed
Admin
pessulus	not needed
sabayon	not needed
Development Tools
accerciser	not needed
anjuta	done
devhelp	not needed
gdl	not needed
glade3	done
gnome-build	not needed
gnome-devel-docs	not needed
Mobile
gconf-dbus	done
Bindings (C++)
glibmm	not needed
gtkmm	not needed
libglademm	not needed
gconfmm	not needed
libgnomecanvasmm	not needed
libgnome-vfsmm	to do
libgnomemm	not needed
libgnomeuimm	not needed
libxml++	not needed
Bindings (java)
glib-java (jg-common)	not needed
libgtk-java	not needed
libgnome-java	not needed
libgconf-java	not needed
libglade-java	not needed
Bindings (perl)
Glib	to do
Gtk2	to do
Gtk2-GladeXML	to do
Gnome2-GConf	to do
Gnome2-Canvas	to do
Gnome2-VFS	to do
Gnome2	to do
Bindings (python)
pygobject	not needed
pygtk	not needed
GnomePython	not needed
External dependencies
dbus-glib	done
farsight2	done
hal	done
libnice	done
libnotify	done
mono	done
poppler	done
Other
abiword	done
atomix	not needed
balsa	done
banshee	not needed
banter	not needed
beagle	not needed
brasero	not needed
contact-lookup-applet	not needed
dia	done
eggcups	not needed
f-spot	not needed
gegl	done
gimp	todo
gnome-blog	not needed
gnome-bluetooth	not needed
gnome-cups-manager	not needed
gnome-main-menu	not needed
gnome-mud	not needed
GParted	not needed
GNOME Phone Manager	not needed
gnome-pilot	done
gossip	done
gnumeric	not needed
gtetrinet	not needed
gthumb	done
gtranslator	not needed
inkscape	done
libbtctl	not needed
libgda	not needed
libgnomekbd	not needed
modest	done
nautilus-sendto	not needed
nautilus-vcs	to do
nemiver	not needed
NetworkManager	not needed
ontv	not needed
planner	done
rhythmbox	done
swfdec	done
tinymail	done
tracker	done
vala	done	fixed in 0.7.10
xchat-gnome	done