3 ms·
The Windows app is still WPF-based and still uses ClickOnce for its installer. The web page claims that this is a new unified app, replacing GitHub for Mac and
by mwcampbell 11y ago
The Windows app is still WPF-based and still uses ClickOnce for its installer. The web page claims that this is a new unified app, replacing GitHub for Mac and GitHub for Windows. But it seems to me that there are still two separate apps. I had expected something like a desktop app using web technologies via Electron, like Atom.
- pyre 11y agoJust because the UI layer and installer are using OS-specific libraries doesn't mean it isn't a unified app under the hood.
- mwcampbell 11y agoYou're right, of course. My comment was premature. But I've looked at both the Windows and Mac apps now, and as far as I can tell, there's no common core besides (probably) libgit2. Each app is implemented using a language runtime and frameworks specific to its host platform. So any unification is only skin-deep. Maybe I'm just envious of companies that have the resources and discipline to keep up the appearance of a unified app while in fact maintaining multiple independent implementations. FWIW, if I were going to implement a unified multi-platform app, I'd use SWT; in fact, I did on a recent project.
- kitsunesoba 11y agoPlease no. GitHub for Mac is an extremely solid, smooth, light little native app and I would hate to see it vanish in favor of a heavy chromium-based monstrosity. I don't use Windows but if I did I'd prefer a WPF or .NET app over a chrome wrapper there, too. Common core+separate native UIs will always be the best sort of cross platform app in my eyes.
- mwcampbell 11y agoI'm sure you're right about a native Cocoa app feeling nicer than a Chromium-based one. But on Windows, WPF is notorious for poor performance; a Chromium-based app might actually be better on that platform.
- kitsunesoba 11y agoWould .NET be preferable to WPF?
- achr2 11y agoWPF is part of .Net.
- WorldWideWayne 11y agoWPF is a .NET GUI framework. WinForms is too, but it's a simple wrapper for the Win32 API, so it performs much better.
- kitsunesoba 11y agoThanks for the clarification!
- westoque 11y agoSame here. I was expecting something built using Electron. I am also building a Git client but building it using Electron.