Ask HN: What should I use to write native desktop apps for Ubuntu?

Re:Ask HN: What should I use to write native desktop apps fo... by aphextron on Sunday May 27, 2018 @07:29PM (#17169751)

My argument basically comes down to the alternatives. Have you tried them? Native iOS development was a nightmare without deep mobile expertise until React Native and the like came about. Windows/Linux/Mac cross-platform apps were in the same place before Electron. IT's far from perfect, but ask anyone today what they'd prefer to build an interface with and it's most like HTML/CSS. Especially for highly graphic intensive, responsive layouts, there's almost no competition really.

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Re:Ask HN: What should I use to write native desktop apps fo... by beojan on Monday May 28, 2018 @04:58AM (#17171377)

> Native iOS development was a nightmare without deep mobile expertise until React Native and the like came about.

Doing things well requires expertise.

> Windows/Linux/Mac cross-platform apps were in the same place before Electron.

Seriously?! Qt predates Electron and is a far superior solution. Of course, if you only know web development, your existing knowledge doesn't translate over easily, but the reverse is equally true.

> but ask anyone today what they'd prefer to build an interface with and it's most like HTML/CSS

Only if they are already experienced in web development. Otherwise, Qt Quick is much better, taking the positives from CSS, without the downsides of using a document format to layout a UI.

> Especially for highly graphic intensive, responsive layouts, there's almost no competition really.

Seriously, Qt Quick is far better. Though on the desktop, you'd be better off not building a "highly graphic intensive, responsive layout" and instead adhering to the established norms.

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Re:Ask HN: What should I use to write native desktop apps fo... by drcode on Sunday May 27, 2018 @07:38PM (#17169782)

Well, I think it would be pretty easy to take the best ideas from HTML/CSS and make something MUCH MUCH better that would be completely incompatible with these- See for instance subform (https://medium.com/subform) The problem with this of course is that these alternative systems aren't widely supported, but at some point I expect one of the AFGAMs to publish and push one of these alternate layout systems and attempt to get higher adoption.

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