[GRASS-dev] v.digit: Qt or wxWidgets

[Glynn Clements]

Hamish wrote:

> > > (4) wxWidgets, like QT and TclTk has versions that run 
> > > natively across platforms--inlcuding most *nix flavors, Mac 
> > > OS X, and Windows. GTK runs primarily in X11 (though there 
> > > are experimental versions under development for other 
> > > platforms I understand).
> 
> FWIW, WinGIMP uses GTK on windows & works quite well.

The Windows port isn't an issue. I use several GTK programs on Windows
(Pan, XChat, GIMP) and they work almost as well as on Linux.

I'm more concerned about the Mac. In particular, the fact that you can
use the Unix/X11 version of GTK with an X server allows developers to
"cop out" and risks reducing the motivation to develop the native
version.

> Also consider where GTK+ (or any other toolkit in active development)
> will be on the Mac not now, but when the software will be written/ready.
> If in 6 months GTK will likely be ready for the Mac, I don't see that as
> a blocker. Plan for the long term..

Part of the problem there is that it might be quite simple to produce
a version which "mostly" works on the Mac yet much harder to actually
finish the job. Looking at the "todo" list for the Mac port suggests
that some of the outstanding tasks might be quite hard. I'm also
quite worried about this:

 Menus/pop up windows

    * These are currently buggy and need fixing. (medium) 

Most of the other items on that list aren't critical, as they relate
to things we don't particularly need. But we will need menus and
pop-up windows, and they'll need to work well enough for the
application to be usable.

-- 
Glynn Clements <glynn at gclements.plus.com>