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Cross platform 'windowing toolkit' APIs are what's missing. At this point I'd be happy even if Microsoft, Apple, and UNIX likes (who would probably just implem

Cross platform 'windowing toolkit' APIs are what's missing. At this point I'd be happy even if Microsoft, Apple, and UNIX likes (who would probably just implement any free open standard anyway) could agree on even ONE such interface. Postscript as a UI language? Fine as long as they all do it. HTML5+ as a UI language? (E.G. like the failed HP Fire or Firefox) Fine as long as they all do it. Some new thing that isn't a complete dumpster-fire but is included everywhere and a free for anyone to implement interface? Fine as long as they all do it. We have NO shortage of programming languages that can be cross compiled to different operating systems. Filesystem differences can be annoying but you can work around those. Entirely different user interaction paths? That's the sticking point.

TheOtherHobbes 5y ago
That would be ideal, but there are huge differences between the window implementations on different platforms. One really obvious example (maybe no longer current - it's been a while since I spent any time on Windows) is that OS X windows are responsive even without focus. So you can scroll around background windows just by hovering without having to click first. Windows doesn't support this. The bigger problem is that the data structures for menus, chrome, and the rest are completely different. An OS X menu is nothing like a Windows menu is nothing like a Linux menu. There are systems like Tcl/Tk and Qt which act as middleware between GUI descriptions and specific OS bindings, and they kind of work. But they force devs to learn a separate intermediate language and (IMO) they look crude compared to real native apps. Of course there are also business reasons why GUI convergence won't happen.
- Brybry 5y ago
  Just an FYI your scrolling example is indeed no longer current (or least not with Windows 10). Scrolling non-focused windows works just fine (ex. can type text into notepad while simultaneously scrolling a browser window).

TheOtherHobbes 5y ago

That would be ideal, but there are huge differences between the window implementations on different platforms. One really obvious example (maybe no longer current - it's been a while since I spent any time on Windows) is that OS X windows are responsive even without focus. So you can scroll around background windows just by hovering without having to click first. Windows doesn't support this. The bigger problem is that the data structures for menus, chrome, and the rest are completely different. An OS X menu is nothing like a Windows menu is nothing like a Linux menu. There are systems like Tcl/Tk and Qt which act as middleware between GUI descriptions and specific OS bindings, and they kind of work. But they force devs to learn a separate intermediate language and (IMO) they look crude compared to real native apps. Of course there are also business reasons why GUI convergence won't happen.

Brybry 5y ago
Just an FYI your scrolling example is indeed no longer current (or least not with Windows 10). Scrolling non-focused windows works just fine (ex. can type text into notepad while simultaneously scrolling a browser window).