They did it! Xojo reverted the event renaming in API 2.0 for Release 2019R2.1!
So what does that mean?
Well, it means that third-party developers like myself have an easier time supporting API 2.0 for our customers. It means our customers no longer have to balance on a wire to properly implement our components in newer versions of Xojo. It means…Xojo is listening.
Let’s be clear, from a technical perspective the revert is a massive win as it rolls-back changes that broke a lot of code both inside and outside the third-party segment of the community. But from a human perspective? This is a major show of understanding and support from Xojo.
To move backwards in an effort to help your customers is a massive hit when considerable resources had already been spent to implement and then try to fix the changes, not to mention the ego-busting nature of such an action. This is no small feat, and I’m glad that things have ended up where they are. Geoff and the team tried very hard to negate the show-stopping issues presented by the previous implementation of API 2.0 and — when they saw that it wasn’t going to work out as planned — took the extraordinary step of putting the user before the syntax. That’s good for all of us, and something I hope to see them repeat in the future.
Despite how API 2.0 made many of us feel, the goal was a noble one regardless of the resulting Earth-shattering implications, and we should all appreciate what the revert means.
So what now?
Now we move forward with them. While many of us in the third-party community will still be spending a great deal of time in 2019R1.1 to ensure backward compatibility, moving to new versions of Xojo is no longer a losing proposition. We can start implementing the API 2.0 changes in #If blocks! While this will inflate code in many ways, it’s a manageable compromise until all of our customers have moved up to 2019R2.1 or greater.
How I Feel
I’m very happy with the outcome. I spent time discussing API 2.0 with Geoff, Travis and Dana of Xojo following the release of 2019R2 to try and provide insight into the challenges presented. These were good, productive conversations that showed Xojo is not only willing to listen, but that they want to help.
Today is a new and better day, and I plan to enjoy it. Thank you, Xojo, for your time, efforts and understanding. I appreciate your hard work and willingness to compromise.
While there are still some kinks to work out, I have faith in Xojo.