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I don't think so. Right now you can write universal applications for iPhone/iPad changing the view controllers, resources (textures) with the same underlying co

by program 16y ago

I don't think so. Right now you can write universal applications for iPhone/iPad changing the view controllers, resources (textures) with the same underlying core code. I think that Apple next big step will be an unified architecture which will allow developers to build cross-platform applications that will run on iPhone/iPad/Mac using an hybrid UIKit/AppKit. Maybe in OS X 10.8, time will tell.

mronge 16y ago
Yea, but that's not what most mean by "write once run anywhere." I don't consider having to write separate view controllers for iPhone and iPad "write once run anywhere." In fact that's not much different than many existing cross platform applications that have a platform agnostic core with a layer of platform specific UI code on top.
mithaler 16y ago
"Write once, run anywhere" is a phrase that historically has referred to multiple platforms by multiple vendors--that is, platforms other than ones maintained by a single company. That is, not just Macs and iOS. Even if they do unify their development interface for all of their platforms, that still will be far from WORA, since I don't see them coming up with an easy way to port their apps to Android or Windows or Ubuntu anytime soon. While you didn't use that phrase yourself, the implication that it could be applied to Apple's offerings reeks of co-option to me--I think Gruber's right about that, since Apple appears to focus on providing the best experience for each individual device (and devices from other vendors aren't even an issue for them--why should they be?). That said, however, I think you're right in that it would certainly be sensible from their perspective to make it easier for developers of one of their platforms to pick up development for their other ones.
- rahoulb 16y ago
  Actually - good point. Historically Next/OpenStep ran on Windows and there were always rumours that Cocoa for Windows (aka Yellowbox) would be released. And there was GNUStep, which was an independent open-source clone of OpenStep. I wonder if they have maintained Yellowbox in the same way as they maintained the Intel version of Mac OSX? Meanwhile, Apple's Windows UI strategy with iTunes is to mimic the Mac as much as possible - presumably to try and ease things for people if/when they switch. But the net effect is that their Windows software is just awful - proof that one UI to rule them all doesn't work.

by program 16y ago

mronge 16y ago

Yea, but that's not what most mean by "write once run anywhere." I don't consider having to write separate view controllers for iPhone and iPad "write once run anywhere." In fact that's not much different than many existing cross platform applications that have a platform agnostic core with a layer of platform specific UI code on top.

mithaler 16y ago

"Write once, run anywhere" is a phrase that historically has referred to multiple platforms by multiple vendors--that is, platforms other than ones maintained by a single company. That is, not just Macs and iOS. Even if they do unify their development interface for all of their platforms, that still will be far from WORA, since I don't see them coming up with an easy way to port their apps to Android or Windows or Ubuntu anytime soon. While you didn't use that phrase yourself, the implication that it could be applied to Apple's offerings reeks of co-option to me--I think Gruber's right about that, since Apple appears to focus on providing the best experience for each individual device (and devices from other vendors aren't even an issue for them--why should they be?). That said, however, I think you're right in that it would certainly be sensible from their perspective to make it easier for developers of one of their platforms to pick up development for their other ones.

rahoulb 16y ago
Actually - good point. Historically Next/OpenStep ran on Windows and there were always rumours that Cocoa for Windows (aka Yellowbox) would be released. And there was GNUStep, which was an independent open-source clone of OpenStep. I wonder if they have maintained Yellowbox in the same way as they maintained the Intel version of Mac OSX? Meanwhile, Apple's Windows UI strategy with iTunes is to mimic the Mac as much as possible - presumably to try and ease things for people if/when they switch. But the net effect is that their Windows software is just awful - proof that one UI to rule them all doesn't work.