[Mono-list] Gtk#

[Joe Mozelesky]

I am downloading WinGTK and wGlade right now, which is the Windows port
of Gtk 1.3.

There are external tools to parse the Glade generated XML files and
create code for a bunch of languages, but I didn't see C# on the list
:-)  Is such a tool available yet or is it still too early?

Basically what I am trying to decide is, do I prototype my UI using
Windows.Forms and say SharpDevelop, and just hope everything compiles
sometime down the road on Mono and that Windows.Forms support is
complete; or do I prototype my UI using Glade and Gtk# because Gtk# will
mature faster?

I suppose I can come back to the UI issue later as I've got tons of
other stuff to sort out first anyways, like finding a cross-platform
.NET reporting tool similar to the embeddable Crystal Reports but free,
etc.

I am just embarking on my not-so-little project of building a
cross-platform business management suite and SFA solution.  Basically I
am cloning QuickBooks Pro and Goldmine for Linux.  But it has to be
cross-platform to gain interest and it has to be .NET to leverage the
existing skillsets of the huge network of VARs out there (Visual Basic,
and FoxPro developers).  Once I have my lower to lower-middle market
Quickbooks type solution I will expand it to be a viable alternative to
Great Plains.NET (currently being ported by M$, actually my goal is
closer to Navision Axapta, also now owned by M$ but there are things I
like in GP as well).  I used to be involved in this industry until I was
laid off last year.  Over the past several years M$ has been buying up
all the major players.  There is a huge channel of Accpac/SBT VARs
experienced in FoxPro, many have already experimented with Linux and
implement Linux as a server OS, so if I have a viable .NET solution,
they will be able to extend and customize it using FoxPro (at least on
Windows, with the FoxPro.NET support).  Goldmine will be easy to clone,
plus fix all the problems inherent in that application's design
(synchronization being a big problem).

The application will be compatible with the Quickbooks XML API qbXML so
that all the add-on applications available for QB will work with my apps
as well.  Then its just a matter of convincing the 3rd party developers
to port to .NET so they run on Linux :-)

So basically all of the features and strategy that I presented to my
previous employers board and which they are incapable of
implementing/too slow etc., I am going to do it myself.

The open-source model lends itself well to the VAR world because most
VARs in the SME market implement a business solution and then make the
majority of their money on ongoing support and customization/development
of add-ons.  With open-source the base software will be free, but for
many VARs losing the profit off the software won't be an issue because
of the ridiculous reseller agreements they are being strong armed into
which they can now avoid.

Compiere is Java, it will never get the kind of VAR adoption needed to
really penetrate the market.  Java is great for high end but for the SME
market most people in the "channel" are not skilled in Java.  OpenMFG is
still expensive and not really "open source" but really very similar to
say Accpac/SBT or Accountmate reseller source code licensing.

Anyway, I could go on and on about this, but basically this is my goal
and what I am trying to do, but right now it is just me :-)  I need to
formulate everything into a coherent set of documents and get it on the
net and open a project on SourceForge.  So I'm trying to do all this and
find a job at the same time...  ;-)

Thanks,
Joe


On Wed, 2002-11-13 at 09:16, Zaphod wrote:
> 
> This obviously means that Gtk# is hobbled in windows as Gtk# includes
a
> lot more than basic Gtk ... Basic Gtk should work the same ... But
it's
> a kludge to be restricted from using the Gnome* widgets (Dialogs, 
> Entryboxen... all that kind of stuff..) . I program using Glade+Python

> right now ... So my critical question is "When Will glade work on
Win32".
> 
AFAIK, there is a windows version of Glade, with no support for GNOME
widgets, but with full GTK support. I don't know if the latest Glade
(for GTK 2.0) has been ported, but I think it shouldn't be too
difficult, since the code base hasn't changed too much, it's just been
adapted to GTK 2.0.

cheers
-- 
Rodrigo Moya <rodrigo@ximian.com>