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> 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 i
by 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 agoApplications can depend on old versions of libraries. Keeping compatibility forever isn't a goal of libraries like it is for operating systems.
- wolfgke 11y agoBut 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 agoYes. 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.)