Hi Andrew
2009/12/5 Andrew Coppin
I don't think it should be necessary to install a Unix emulator just so that I can write Windows programs. Maybe others disagree.
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I'm by no means an expert here, but isn't it usual for C libraries on Windows to be supplied as a compiled DLL and a header file for using it? I don't quite understand why you need a C compiler.
The thing is, all the bindings on Hackage (or at least something most likely above 95%) are to "Unix" C libraries so you need a C compiler and a Unix emulator to use them. I do have have some sympathy with your point though - it is possible to get things to compile once you have Cygwin, but deployment on any other machine Windows thereafter is 'challenging' to say the least.
Apparently there is some talk of removing OpenGL from the Haskell Platform. And if this happens, it'll be one more thing I can't use on Windows. :-(
I didn't realise until I looked today that OpenGL was in the Haskell Platform. If the proposal to remove it is from Sven Panne then fair enough, otherwise it would be a bit disappointing - it always "just worked" when it was part of GHCs extralibs... Best wishes Stephen