Ask HN: What's the best library for making cross-platform UIs?

Re:Ask HN: What's the best library for making cross-platform... by dom0 on Sunday August 28, 2016 @03:33PM (#12378088)

> Qt only emulates Windows controls, but wxWidgets uses the actual Windows controls via Microsoft Win32 API.

This is not correct. Many controls use the native implementation of the underlying platform.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: What's the best library for making cross-platform... by rer on Sunday August 28, 2016 @06:03PM (#12378759)

Why many and not all?

Emulating sounds like an extra layer one could do with out.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: What's the best library for making cross-platform... by barrkel on Sunday August 28, 2016 @06:20PM (#12378815)

Because one platform supports more options and when using that control on a different platform there are exactly two choices: break cross compatibility or reimplement the control.

Add evolution of controls and idioms over time, and it's literally impossible to always unify: not all platforms evolve their non-trivial components in the same direction.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: What's the best library for making cross-platform... by rer on Sunday August 28, 2016 @06:38PM (#12378874)

I'm glad I asked this because your answer suggests this is the main problem with cross-platform UIs.

What do you think is the right thing to do? To have a common denominator kind of approach where a control works on all platforms but with fewer features, or to reimplement the control?

Do you have an example handy of a control/idiom that caused this problem?

It sounds like reimplementing (emulation) is a good thing.

[ Parent | on HN ]