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Would there be interest in a cross-platform GUI written in C++ or Rust that uses HTML/CSS/JS as its layout and animation language, but runs natively on CPU/GPU

Would there be interest in a cross-platform GUI written in C++ or Rust that uses HTML/CSS/JS as its layout and animation language, but runs natively on CPU/GPU without a browser layer?

42e6e8c8-f7b8-4 4y ago
I think you're looking for https://www.areweguiyet.com/ https://www.areweguiyet.com/ click "webrenderer"
ducktective 4y ago
I hope not. HTML/CSS were supposed to be used for "hyper text" and "magazine-like" content
- ironmagma 4y ago
  Computers were supposed to be used for computing and printing solutions to polynomial equations. Is that really relevant to what computers are needed for anymore?
  - ducktective 4y ago
    bad comparison. HTML encoding inherently is incompatible with dynamic presentation of data.
    - ironmagma 4y ago
      Not true considering how you don't need JavaScript to display several dynamic elements such as forms, checkboxes, details boxes, or videos. Also proven to be compatible through schemes like QML. It's kind of like saying a soft, meatlike human body is inherently incompatible with hard, metal electronics. True, it wasn't invented to do that, and problems arise from that interaction, but it doesn't mean they are incompatible.
wolframhempel 4y ago
Could you elaborate on what you mean by "without a browser layer"? Would there still be a webview / blink etc. implementation?
marklar423 4y ago
That would be cool, but wouldn't any (full) implementation of the HTML/CSS/JS spec end up as a browser anyways? Unless you narrow the scope and only support a subset of HTML.
- skavi 4y ago
  Take that concept a bit further and you’ve basically gone down the same path as Flutter.
cokeandpepsi 4y ago
isn't that what chrome is? either way QML is kind of what most people seem to be looking for and it's widely used
krapp 4y ago
The thing is, HTML/CSS/JS is good as a layout paradigm but garbage as an actual GUI layout and language, because they were intended for hypertext documents, not applications. If you're going to do that, maybe consider versions of those intended to work as a native GUI layer, but which are as easy to develop as the web.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- FractalHQ 4y ago
  > intended for hypertext documents, not applications They’ve been evolving for so many years that the initial intent behind their design isn’t very relevant. Especially if you consider modern tooling, language versions, webgl, svg, canvas, and so much more.
tomc1985 4y ago
This existed, it was called XUL, and it was glorious If there is one tech that we need to bring back from the dead, it is XUL (XUL is the GUI toolkit powering Firefox, or at least was until they ripped almost all of it out and replaced it with "modern" (gag) HTML+CSS UI)
- zsims 4y ago
  Unsure if joking. XUL was awful.
  - tomc1985 4y ago
    Are you kidding? I loved working with it.

Would there be interest in a cross-platform GUI written in C++ or Rust that uses HTML/CSS/JS as its layout and animation language, but runs natively on CPU/GPU without a browser layer?

42e6e8c8-f7b8-4 4y ago

I think you're looking for https://www.areweguiyet.com/ https://www.areweguiyet.com/ click "webrenderer"

ducktective 4y ago

I hope not. HTML/CSS were supposed to be used for "hyper text" and "magazine-like" content

ironmagma 4y ago
Computers were supposed to be used for computing and printing solutions to polynomial equations. Is that really relevant to what computers are needed for anymore?
- ducktective 4y ago
  bad comparison. HTML encoding inherently is incompatible with dynamic presentation of data.
  - ironmagma 4y ago
    Not true considering how you don't need JavaScript to display several dynamic elements such as forms, checkboxes, details boxes, or videos. Also proven to be compatible through schemes like QML. It's kind of like saying a soft, meatlike human body is inherently incompatible with hard, metal electronics. True, it wasn't invented to do that, and problems arise from that interaction, but it doesn't mean they are incompatible.

wolframhempel 4y ago

Could you elaborate on what you mean by "without a browser layer"? Would there still be a webview / blink etc. implementation?

marklar423 4y ago

That would be cool, but wouldn't any (full) implementation of the HTML/CSS/JS spec end up as a browser anyways? Unless you narrow the scope and only support a subset of HTML.

skavi 4y ago
Take that concept a bit further and you’ve basically gone down the same path as Flutter.

cokeandpepsi 4y ago

isn't that what chrome is? either way QML is kind of what most people seem to be looking for and it's widely used

krapp 4y ago

The thing is, HTML/CSS/JS is good as a layout paradigm but garbage as an actual GUI layout and language, because they were intended for hypertext documents, not applications. If you're going to do that, maybe consider versions of those intended to work as a native GUI layer, but which are as easy to develop as the web.

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
FractalHQ 4y ago
> intended for hypertext documents, not applications They’ve been evolving for so many years that the initial intent behind their design isn’t very relevant. Especially if you consider modern tooling, language versions, webgl, svg, canvas, and so much more.

tomc1985 4y ago

This existed, it was called XUL, and it was glorious If there is one tech that we need to bring back from the dead, it is XUL (XUL is the GUI toolkit powering Firefox, or at least was until they ripped almost all of it out and replaced it with "modern" (gag) HTML+CSS UI)

zsims 4y ago
Unsure if joking. XUL was awful.
- tomc1985 4y ago
  Are you kidding? I loved working with it.