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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.

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?
      - tracker1 3y ago
        Browsers/Electron has great accessibility in the box.
        CyberDildonics 3y ago
        What does that mean and how does that answer the question? How is electron better than using a local webserver and web page for accessibility?
        tracker1 3y ago
        Well, I've specifically stated more than once, you don't need to use Electron specifically. The advantage Electron does provide is relative isolation from your installed browser (which are generally well sandboxed anyhow). The only other significant advantage is they are easier to jail/isolate for use with the likes of appImage, Snap and Flatpak/Flathub. So you can target multiple Linux platforms with a single build process, without dependency hell or getting stuck on older repository releases. Electron also offers a consistent option for your application's packaging and updates along with a consistent browser surface, where a separately packaged application that uses the system's browser will be indeterminant in terms of potential render issues and bugs. Again, not that I'm advocating for Electron specifically, and haven't been. I've specifically mentioned Tauri and others as alternatives that use the system's browser engine, which you have repeatedly ignored.

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?
    - tracker1 3y ago
      Browsers/Electron has great accessibility in the box.
      - CyberDildonics 3y ago
        What does that mean and how does that answer the question? How is electron better than using a local webserver and web page for accessibility?
        tracker1 3y ago
        Well, I've specifically stated more than once, you don't need to use Electron specifically. The advantage Electron does provide is relative isolation from your installed browser (which are generally well sandboxed anyhow). The only other significant advantage is they are easier to jail/isolate for use with the likes of appImage, Snap and Flatpak/Flathub. So you can target multiple Linux platforms with a single build process, without dependency hell or getting stuck on older repository releases. Electron also offers a consistent option for your application's packaging and updates along with a consistent browser surface, where a separately packaged application that uses the system's browser will be indeterminant in terms of potential render issues and bugs. Again, not that I'm advocating for Electron specifically, and haven't been. I've specifically mentioned Tauri and others as alternatives that use the system's browser engine, which you have repeatedly ignored.