Cross-platform GUI development

[Chris Mellon]

On 10/24/07, bramble <cadet.bramble at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Oct 23, 2:59 pm, "Chris Mellon" <arka... at gmail.com> wrote:
> > On 10/23/07, maco <maco... at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >
> > > On Oct 13, 12:34 am, Michael L Torrie <torr... at chem.byu.edu> wrote:
> >
> > > > Qt doesn't look very native on my desktop.  In fact, Qt apps have always
> > > > looked out of place on a Gnome desktop.
> >
> > > > On Windows and Mac, no question, they look pretty native.  You do have
> > > > to take pains to make the app "feel" native, though.  Like follow the UI
> > > > guidelines of the platform,  etc.
> >
> > > > > Just a question of "feeling" I think; because most of those GUI
> > > > > framework, offer quiet the same functionality.
> >
> > > GTK (like Pidgin or the GIMP) looks pretty native on Windows to me.
> >
> > This can only be because you don't use these programs often, or you've
> > never actually looked at them. The GIMP in particular has almost
> > nothing in common with the native controls - it's got a different
> > background color, a different drawing model (note nasty delayed
> > repaints when resizing), clearly non-native dialogs like file pickers,
> > non-standard menu icons, just a huge list.
> >
> > Pidgin has a fairly minimal interface so it's flaws are less obvious,
> > but they're still there.
> >
> > If this doesn't bother you, more power to you, but don't make the
> > mistake of thinking that GIMP is any way "native" on windows.
>
> In the end, GTK+ is themable, and it's a free software project, so if
> the MS Windows port has warts, anyone can come along and polish it up
> for that platform.
>

There's been plenty to say about this in the past, so I will be brief:
Being able to use the native theme API is necessary but not sufficient
for native look and feel. Gtk doesn't even try for anything other than
a cursory attempt at "look", and as far as I know doesn't have any
real interest in doing so.

I don't have any problem than that, but I don't like people
misrepresenting what you get from using Gtk.

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