[Mono-list] Gtk# or the future Windows.Forms Mono

[Christian Gross]

Jonathan Pryor wrote:

>
>This isn't entirely true; there is also development on Cocoa# for better
>Mac OS X integration.
>
>  
>
Well, does this not make the argument for something like wx.NET, which
already has pretty decent OSX integration including native look and feel?

>So the closest to an "official" position would probably be this: design
>your code to utilize multiple different front-ends so that you can
>better integrate with all of your target platforms.  This implies having
>Gtk#, SWF, and Cocoa# GUIs, if desired.  Is this more work?  Yes.  But
>your users will prefer it.  (For proof, just see the history of cross-
>platform toolkits between Mac OS and Windows.  The users tended to
>prefer Mac-native front-ends in almost all cases.  Even now, I hear
>grumbling from users that Qt programs don't look "quite right" on the
>Mac, because buttons are the wrong size and other subtle issues.)
>
>  
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Yes, you are right, and why I point out wx.NET as it is a native look
and feel.

Well, if you are comparing C++ toolkits and their issues, sure you have
a point.  But Java Swing has managed to create native look and feel
applications across all platforms.  I think asking a client to use
different GUI toolkits on different platforms is asking too much.

Playing devils advocate, I suppose at that point my reaction would be,
ok, fine, so who pays the software development bills?  Windows!  Hence
it makes sense to code to only Windows and forget the rest.  Which at
that point raises the question of why Mono?  I suppose an answer would
be easier development on Linux.  Which is acceptable, but if a Linux app
does not look and feel good on Windows or OSX, why bother?  I am just
playing devils advocate here, and find that using an approach like
wx.NET I avoid all of these problems in the first place.

A question is why not work on making GTK having a native look and feel?
I was looking at gtk-osx native port and it seemed to have been stopped
in 2002.  Why did it stop?

Just asking questions and wondering...

Christian Gross