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I completely disagree with this take. The process of making GUI programs used to be very straightforward. If anything, in the last 10 years, Microsoft has impr
by ratww 5y ago
I completely disagree with this take.
The process of making GUI programs used to be very straightforward. If anything, in the last 10 years, Microsoft has improved the CLI experience by leaps and bounds, while at the same time it made making GUI software significantly worse.
Making CLI programs on Windows was never a big problem. There was always a way depending on which language you chose, and even if you wanted to POSIX you could with Cygwin. Sure, it wasn't Linux but that was the nature of the system. Now you don't even need hacks.
Making GUI software, however, is currently very... weird. Making GUI software, especially on Windows, was historically very simple and never required any CLI, let alone a good one.
I also disagree that making GUI apps in Windows is a "byzantine and convoluted process". It is not, and it never was. You can create a simple GUI app with a single .cpp file and compiler command. If you want to use Winforms you could draw the windows. VB6 before as well. WPF on Visual Studio was also very simple.
The only part that I agree is still unfinished is the .NET CLI-only experience, which the OP complained about. But that part also kinda sucks on Linux and Mac. If you use Visual Studio it works well.
The whole issue with native GUI apps in Windows currently is that nobody, not even Microsoft, knows the way forward for apps. Apple knows: it's Swift and Cocoa for Mac. The Linux world seems to be moving towards Wayland (I know I'll get some smart-ass responses on that). iOS and Android also have a happy path.
On Windows? There are 6 or 7 different APIs and 20 different ways to start an App, and none of them super maintained, well documented or even officially favoured by MS. Sure, Win32 might not be going away, but some things are better in WPF. Wait oh no WPF was replaced by WinUI. But what's that WinForms thing? And this MFC thing that got recent updates?