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The CONAN package manager is supported by the GATE framework since years.
And each CI build produces a new package on Codeberg’s CONAN remote for the X64 Linux platform.

Powered by CMake, the CONAN build pipeline provides an automated test facility.

C++ was and is the superior programming language, because it can directly use the most important programming language: C.

Other languagues bring their unique improvements, but they all become complex, when it comes to interacting with C code (and of course the OS APIs, which are written C too).

But there is one newcomer, that can compete with C++ regarding C-flexibility:
The ZIG programming language.

Codeberg and its Forgejo software offers support for Github actions. With actions we can add CI/CD (continuous integration and continuous delivery) functionality to our Git repos.

Each pushed git commit will now trigger a build pipeline to compile sources for several platforms.

It’s time to go public. It’s time the open all gates.

All free online Git hosters are really great, and bitbucket.org served well during the initial development of the GATE framework.

But there is a new provider rising in the sky:
codeberg.org

There was a time, when 64K was enough.

In parallel to UEFI boot-app development, the GATE framework does provide bindings to Open Watcom and MS-DOS as target platform.

Highest priority of the GATE project is portability. We don’t want code (again) that only runs on platform XYZ.

But … for every rule exists an exception:
So let’s talk about native assembler codes for callstack manipulation.

Development of the GATE framework started in a simple Visual Studio Solution. To ensure portability, a switch to CMake was made. But now also CMake requires additional parameters to produce the required results.

When we have a software platform layer, that frees us from API details of the operating system … do we still need an operating system?
Well, not necessarily.

The main target for the GATE framework is the desktop and server world.
But what if there is a chance to build a bridge to the mobile realm?
What if we can open the gates to Android and its device families?

Working with data means working with data formats.
Internet REST APIs deliver their content in different dialects like XML, JSON or YAML. These formats are implemented as part of the GATE framework to parse information without external dependencies.

Sometimes a new technology resembles an old one, and sometimes an old technology opens the GATEs to the future.

Optimizing the GATE framework for the reduced APIs of Windows Nano Server and Server 2019 running in a Docker environment had an interesting side effect:
Making APIs optional to work only when they are present did also increase the range of supported ancient operating systems back to Windows 2000 and Windows NT 4.

Copying files within the filesystem is no challange for the GATE framework. Therefore the newest UI tool called vbincopy targets reading and writing to storage devices.

Loading image files and writing them to SD cards is the beginning of each system-on-chip experience like with the Raspberry Pi or similar devices.

The first announced GATE application was gatecli, a console program working as a pocket tool and a unit test tool in one executable.

Now we have received another demo program that represents another aspect of the GATE project.

vtxtedit is a simple notepad like text editor and it is going to be used as a demonstration of UI capabilities of the framework.

While gatecli is plain C application, vtxtedit uses the GATE C++ layer to access all features of the GATE framework. Currently, only Windows and Windows CE builds are supported, but as soon as the GTK+ port is ready, a linux releases will follow.

Check out the first alpha releases on the app download page.

Due to parallel projects and a running career change, it is required to change the development and especially the release plans for GATE based software.

The main purpose of the GATE project is to have a new multi-platform framework for system programming in plain C.

One field of application are background services which are invisible to the enduser.
Another interesting field are UI administration tools.

Finally, the first version of the opengate.at website is now online in parallel to my blog pages (in german).

The existing GATE code went through some rewriting processes, when some concepts in object layout needed to be changed.

The new GATE project, a C library framework for system programming, has been started and some initial coding guidelines have already been declared. But further interface studies and tests are needed to complete the library interface concept.