4 ms·

it's not something that anyone has really done It has been done many times. Not only that, if you want to use a web page for a GUI, then do it by making a loc

it's not something that anyone has really done It has been done many times. Not only that, if you want to use a web page for a GUI, then do it by making a local web server back end and just use the web browser. This idea that electron is somehow the only way to get cross platform GUIs is some sort of bizarre twilight zone where a bunch of people who only know javascript ignore that last three decades of software.

refulgentis 3y ago
[flagged]
tracker1 3y ago
Okay, care to name some of these many cross-platform, easy to use UI toolkits that include the accessibility that the browser has? Also, I never said Electron was the only way... I specifically mentioned Tauri in my comment as an example of a browser renderer. And it doesn't need to use a local web server either.
- CyberDildonics 3y ago
  Qt, FLTK, WxWidgets And it doesn't need to use a local web server either. Shipping an entire browser so someone can pop up a single window is not a positive. Again, if you want html as your interface, use html and let people use their own browser so that the entire program is 400KB instead of 400 MB
  - tracker1 3y ago
    Qt, open-source only or expensive licensing. C++ only bindings... wouldn't call it "easy to use" FLTK, no accessibility features WxWidgets, really limited theming, not even close to html+css. Cross platform compatibility is hit and miss, usually requiring a lot of one-off platform corrections. Also, as I said, you don't need to ship the entire browser... not once, but twice... try reading slower.
    - Narishma 3y ago
      Qt has been LGPL for ages. You can use it for free just fine in proprietary apps, as long as you don't modify Qt itself.
      - tracker1 3y ago
        Sorry, I had forgotten.
    - CyberDildonics 3y ago
      Qt, open-source only or expensive licensing It's LGPL, lots of programs use it like qTorrent, VLC and much more. You can make up criticisms but it has been a backbone of GUIs for decades. FLTK, no accessibility features What exactly do you need and do you need it for every GUI you make? If you want a web page, use a web page. WxWidgets, really limited theming, Suddenly theming is your deal breaker. not even close to html+css Thankfully, because that is often not a good way to make a GUI. as I said, you don't need to ship the entire browser... No, you said "it doesn't need to use a local web server either." Also 'entire web browser or not' electron programs end up being hundreds of megabytes for a simple window use hundreds of megabytes of RAM. The bottom line here is not that electron is necessary. It is that you want to use javascript even though your users will hate it.
      - mwcampbell 3y ago
        > What exactly do you need and do you need it for every GUI you make? A GUI toolkit that has no support for screen readers, or other assistive technologies that require accessibility APIs, should be a non-starter for most applications IMO. We need more options that meet that criterion without going all the way to a web page.
        CyberDildonics 3y ago
        How is electron better than a web page for accessibility?

refulgentis 3y ago

[flagged]

tracker1 3y ago

Okay, care to name some of these many cross-platform, easy to use UI toolkits that include the accessibility that the browser has? Also, I never said Electron was the only way... I specifically mentioned Tauri in my comment as an example of a browser renderer. And it doesn't need to use a local web server either.

CyberDildonics 3y ago
Qt, FLTK, WxWidgets And it doesn't need to use a local web server either. Shipping an entire browser so someone can pop up a single window is not a positive. Again, if you want html as your interface, use html and let people use their own browser so that the entire program is 400KB instead of 400 MB
- tracker1 3y ago
  Qt, open-source only or expensive licensing. C++ only bindings... wouldn't call it "easy to use" FLTK, no accessibility features WxWidgets, really limited theming, not even close to html+css. Cross platform compatibility is hit and miss, usually requiring a lot of one-off platform corrections. Also, as I said, you don't need to ship the entire browser... not once, but twice... try reading slower.
  - Narishma 3y ago
    Qt has been LGPL for ages. You can use it for free just fine in proprietary apps, as long as you don't modify Qt itself.
    - tracker1 3y ago
      Sorry, I had forgotten.
  - CyberDildonics 3y ago
    Qt, open-source only or expensive licensing It's LGPL, lots of programs use it like qTorrent, VLC and much more. You can make up criticisms but it has been a backbone of GUIs for decades. FLTK, no accessibility features What exactly do you need and do you need it for every GUI you make? If you want a web page, use a web page. WxWidgets, really limited theming, Suddenly theming is your deal breaker. not even close to html+css Thankfully, because that is often not a good way to make a GUI. as I said, you don't need to ship the entire browser... No, you said "it doesn't need to use a local web server either." Also 'entire web browser or not' electron programs end up being hundreds of megabytes for a simple window use hundreds of megabytes of RAM. The bottom line here is not that electron is necessary. It is that you want to use javascript even though your users will hate it.
    - mwcampbell 3y ago
      > What exactly do you need and do you need it for every GUI you make? A GUI toolkit that has no support for screen readers, or other assistive technologies that require accessibility APIs, should be a non-starter for most applications IMO. We need more options that meet that criterion without going all the way to a web page.
      - CyberDildonics 3y ago
        How is electron better than a web page for accessibility?