Subject: Re: XP dialogs
From: Mike Nordell (tamlin@algonet.se)
Date: Sun Feb 11 2001 - 07:49:43 CST
Tom Briggs wrote:
> And rewriting our entire dialog system is somehow an easier, less daunting
> task?
Initially, no. In the long term, absolutely. I care about long term
stability and maintenance, even for small projects like AbiWord.
> I agree that this is a maintaince nightmare. I also know that it's the
> only way to get the dialogs on each platform to look like they belong on
> that platform.
Then you're a better man than I am, since I "know" the complete opposite.
> Basically what you've just described are two of the possible ways to
> construct dialogs in Java. If you think laying out dialogs once for each
> platform is a lot of work, try laying out dialogs that don't look like
> shit using either of these systems.
If a layout engine is implemented for each platform, laying out the controls
according to that platforms conventions, how would it be possible to make it
_not_ look native?
> One of the most subtle reasons that AbiWord has a chance to succeed
> cross-platform is that for each platform, it looks like an app designed
> for that platform. Any attempt to abstract the dialog layout system
> will result in sacrificing the "designed for this platform" look.
Again, how would that be possible if code written for that platform takes
care of laying out the controls? That somehow implies that even using native
tools it's impossible to make dialogs look native on that particular
platform.
> Having an abstract dialog layout system will help us developers but hurt
> the users. Don't forget which is more important.
This is exactly what hurts us, thinking this is impossible because of
ignorance. You apparently believe I only think of the developers, not giving
a shit about users or native look & feel. To quote a movie: "Assumption is
the mother of all fuckups". You assume I don't know this.
/Mike
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