Re: Questions on cross-platform development...

[thaths@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Sudhakar Chandrasekharan)]

Thanks everyone who responded.

Arsalan Zaidi wrote:

> Right, QT seems to be a popular choice. Check out /., I remember a thread
> about this in Ask /. or something. Lots of links there.

Will check out the Ask Slashdot piece.  My problem with QT is the GPL 
(not LGPL) and QPL dual-licensing.  I wish it were under LGPL.  But then 
again, that'd mean that TrollTech would not be making money.  Binad, 
what this means is that I can use the GPL-ed version of QT if I'm 
developing code that is also going to be GPL-ed (The GPL virus at work). 
 If I'm developing commercial, closed-source applications using QT, I'd 
have to buy developer license from TrollTech under QPL.

Also, Qt does not do Mac.  But that platform is dying anyway. ;-)

> BTW (and since I've never used QT, take this with a pinch of salt), I think
> QT has some vague 'extensions' to C++ ... You might not like that very much.
> More info from ppl who've worked with it please.

I've heard abt the C++ mangling too.  If memory serves me right... you 
have to run your code thorugh a pre-processor or something to mangle it 
before it can be compiled.  Arun, any input?

> BTW, the only other cross-platform GUI that comes to mind is AWT/Swing. But
> that means you have to buy into the whole Sun Java wet-dream...

Java might not be an option.  Too bloated, slow and feature-less.


> GTK is being worked on as well, but it's been a while since I looked it up.

I've looked at that.  It is basically porting GTK+ to Win.  No promises 
are being made by the porter.

> You know it all depends on what you're trying to do... For e.g. on a project
> I'm working on right now, I've decided to implement the configuration
> program as a CGI script. That way I get both remote admin features and a
> flexible client with support for SSL, a clean, familiar interface, it's own
> rudimentary scripting language and support for Java (other wise known as a
> browser...). HTML + .jpegs are pretty cross-platform...

I know what you mean.  The browser has become sort of a universal UI. 
But my problem is too complex to be done through a browser.  Besides, it 
does not fit into the traditional client-server model which works best 
with web apps.

Thaths