Dave, > It seems like you're limiting refactoring to code re-use via > extraction to libraries. No, I'm using the same definition that Mat refers to: "Refactoring is a disciplined technique for restructuring an existing body of code, altering its internal structure without changing its external behavior." - Martin Fowler on http://www.refactoring.com/ What I am saying is that moving redundant code out of application space into libraries is a significant component of refactoring. My question was why not being able to do that due to license barriers isn't a significant obstacle to long term GIMP code maintenance. Sven has answered that question. The client-server design of the PDB sidesteps the license issue by exposing functionality in app (which includes the PDB) without linking (instead using sockets). This works for GIMP because no other apps use libgimp as a system library except for GIMP plug-ins, and plug-ins all expect to talk to the GIMP app rather than run independently without it. Appreciate the clarification. Thanks, Robin ------------------------------------------------------------------- Robin.Rowe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Hollywood, California www.CinePaint.org Open source digital motion picture film software
