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> Win32 is actually not that bad Having written code for Win32 for a while, I kind of have to disagree. Compared to Gtk+ (I admit, I only used it from Python/P

by krylon 11y ago

> Win32 is actually not that bad Having written code for Win32 for a while, I kind of have to disagree. Compared to Gtk+ (I admit, I only used it from Python/Perl/Ruby) or Qt, building GUIs in C/Win32 is a huge pain. I only had very brief contact with Win32's threading API, but it looked like that was indeed more fun to use than pthreads.

wolfgke 11y ago
> Having written code for Win32 for a while, I kind of have to disagree. Compared to Gtk+ (I admit, I only used it from Python/Perl/Ruby) or Qt, building GUIs in C/Win32 is a huge pain. On the other hand: WinAPI stays (even binary-)compatible with new versions of Windows. Gtk+ on the other hand is replaced by newer incompatible versions all the time.
- AgentME 11y ago
  Applications can depend on old versions of libraries. Keeping compatibility forever isn't a goal of libraries like it is for operating systems.
  - wolfgke 11y ago
    But if one wants to use GNU/Linux on a desktop (in opposite to the server) the desktop libraries are a part of the operating system - thus keeping compatibility for desktop libraries is keeping compatibility for the operating system.
- krylon 11y ago
  Yes. For better or worse, Microsoft does a really impressive job at maintaining backwards compatibility. (Although I feel for the poor programmers that have to make sure twenty year-old applications that grossly abuse the documented API keep running.)
catnaroek 11y ago
The WinAPI's closest analog in Unix-land is POSIX, which is just as horrifying. Gtk+ vs. WinAPI is apples to oranges. IMO, even WinForms and Visual Studio's form designer are infinitely better than the mess that is Gtk+ and Glade. I haven't tried Qt too seriously, but my impression of it is that its object model combines the disadvantages of C# (less than adequate support for generic programming) with those of C++ (manual memory management, not even aided by smart pointers).

by krylon 11y ago

wolfgke 11y ago

> Having written code for Win32 for a while, I kind of have to disagree. Compared to Gtk+ (I admit, I only used it from Python/Perl/Ruby) or Qt, building GUIs in C/Win32 is a huge pain. On the other hand: WinAPI stays (even binary-)compatible with new versions of Windows. Gtk+ on the other hand is replaced by newer incompatible versions all the time.

AgentME 11y ago
Applications can depend on old versions of libraries. Keeping compatibility forever isn't a goal of libraries like it is for operating systems.
- wolfgke 11y ago
  But if one wants to use GNU/Linux on a desktop (in opposite to the server) the desktop libraries are a part of the operating system - thus keeping compatibility for desktop libraries is keeping compatibility for the operating system.
krylon 11y ago
Yes. For better or worse, Microsoft does a really impressive job at maintaining backwards compatibility. (Although I feel for the poor programmers that have to make sure twenty year-old applications that grossly abuse the documented API keep running.)

catnaroek 11y ago

The WinAPI's closest analog in Unix-land is POSIX, which is just as horrifying. Gtk+ vs. WinAPI is apples to oranges. IMO, even WinForms and Visual Studio's form designer are infinitely better than the mess that is Gtk+ and Glade. I haven't tried Qt too seriously, but my impression of it is that its object model combines the disadvantages of C# (less than adequate support for generic programming) with those of C++ (manual memory management, not even aided by smart pointers).