4 ms·

I think Slack is focusing on code reuse, eg. using the same HTML/CSS/JS codebase across all platforms - hence it would be preferrable to avoid having to compile

I think Slack is focusing on code reuse, eg. using the same HTML/CSS/JS codebase across all platforms - hence it would be preferrable to avoid having to compile for every platform.

kalleboo 10y ago
I don't think compliation is the issue, it's supporting the diverse platform APIs and UI toolkits.
- coldtea 10y ago
  They use like 5 widgets (styled text, textfield, buttons, radios, etc). They could create their own UI toolkit with 1/10 the resources they have.
  - pjmlp 10y ago
    Apparently for the web dev generation, writing modular native code across OSes is a lost art, attained by us old druids not worth listening to.
    - coldtea 10y ago
      Yeah, and it's especially puzzling since they've given up one of the major hassles of going natively cross-platform anyway: having to support a native look and feel. Which makes creating a similar (uniform looking across platforms) native UI lib even easier than catering to the intricacies of each platform.
  - joekim 10y ago
    If this is true, then why are even bigger players with more resources like Facebook and Microsoft building on top of Electron instead of building natively? I surmise that you are not alone in believing that Slack would be better built as a native app. But if it's such a bad direction why are so many going down this road and what are they missing?
    - pjmlp 10y ago
      > ....Facebook and Microsoft building on top of Electron instead of building natively? JavaScript devs are usually cheaper to hire than C++, Java, Objective-C, Swift, .NET ones.
      - joekim 10y ago
        I think VSCode by Microsoft is a good example of Electron done well. In their case, I don't think it's because their web technology devs are cheaper. I wouldn't be surprised if that team knew multiple platforms and languages. I think it's all about finding the balance between dev costs, making a great product, and getting it out fast on multiple platforms.
        pjmlp 10y ago
        On their case, they want to get a few notches up in the SV popchart culture, top of the pops.
        joekim 10y ago
        Being cool in SV is only so valuable.
    - coldtea 10y ago
      >If this is true, then why are even bigger players with more resources like Facebook and Microsoft building on top of Electron instead of building natively? Because software is a pop culture, and the latest fad always prevails at most shops. Also companies care more about cutting corners and shipping sooner than about the long haul. That said, it's not like Facebook particularly enjoyed web based apps: "Mark Zuckerberg: Our Biggest Mistake Was Betting Too Much On HTML5" https://techcrunch.com/2012/09/11/mark-zuckerberg-our-biggest-mistake-with-mobile-was-betting-too-much-on-html5/ https://techcrunch.com/2012/09/11/mark-zuckerberg-our-bigges...
      - joekim 10y ago

I think Slack is focusing on code reuse, eg. using the same HTML/CSS/JS codebase across all platforms - hence it would be preferrable to avoid having to compile for every platform.

kalleboo 10y ago

I don't think compliation is the issue, it's supporting the diverse platform APIs and UI toolkits.

coldtea 10y ago
They use like 5 widgets (styled text, textfield, buttons, radios, etc). They could create their own UI toolkit with 1/10 the resources they have.
- pjmlp 10y ago
  Apparently for the web dev generation, writing modular native code across OSes is a lost art, attained by us old druids not worth listening to.
  - coldtea 10y ago
    Yeah, and it's especially puzzling since they've given up one of the major hassles of going natively cross-platform anyway: having to support a native look and feel. Which makes creating a similar (uniform looking across platforms) native UI lib even easier than catering to the intricacies of each platform.
- joekim 10y ago
  If this is true, then why are even bigger players with more resources like Facebook and Microsoft building on top of Electron instead of building natively? I surmise that you are not alone in believing that Slack would be better built as a native app. But if it's such a bad direction why are so many going down this road and what are they missing?
  - pjmlp 10y ago
    > ....Facebook and Microsoft building on top of Electron instead of building natively? JavaScript devs are usually cheaper to hire than C++, Java, Objective-C, Swift, .NET ones.
    - joekim 10y ago
      I think VSCode by Microsoft is a good example of Electron done well. In their case, I don't think it's because their web technology devs are cheaper. I wouldn't be surprised if that team knew multiple platforms and languages. I think it's all about finding the balance between dev costs, making a great product, and getting it out fast on multiple platforms.
      - pjmlp 10y ago
        On their case, they want to get a few notches up in the SV popchart culture, top of the pops.
        joekim 10y ago
        Being cool in SV is only so valuable.
  - coldtea 10y ago
    >If this is true, then why are even bigger players with more resources like Facebook and Microsoft building on top of Electron instead of building natively? Because software is a pop culture, and the latest fad always prevails at most shops. Also companies care more about cutting corners and shipping sooner than about the long haul. That said, it's not like Facebook particularly enjoyed web based apps: "Mark Zuckerberg: Our Biggest Mistake Was Betting Too Much On HTML5" https://techcrunch.com/2012/09/11/mark-zuckerberg-our-biggest-mistake-with-mobile-was-betting-too-much-on-html5/ https://techcrunch.com/2012/09/11/mark-zuckerberg-our-bigges...
    - joekim 10y ago