Re: Another GUI (Re: This thing we called GNUstep)

[Doc O'Leary]

In article <mailman.10083.1387739568.10748.discuss-gnustep@gnu.org>,
 James Carthew <jcarthew@gmail.com> wrote:

> There should be two core GUI APIs. One based on touch and one based on
> Keyboard/Mouse.

I still say that's an unresolved question.  Just because Apple went that 
direction doesn't make it a given.  More directly, it is quite possible 
to have a computer that supports both a mouse and multitouch trackpad.  
Likewise, hardware keyboard vs. software keyboard need not represent a 
core difference in the interface.

> Trying to force on
> traditional desktop users an interface they neither wanted nor needed, and
> the result has been a disaster with massive backlash against both
> platforms.

This is a separate issue.  Part of it has to do with touch, and part of 
it has to do with small screens (aka, "mobile") vs. large screens.  But, 
again, it isn't obvious to me that this is an API-level difference 
rather than a platform-level difference.  Just about every iOS developer 
can use the mouse+keyboard to test the bulk of their app's features on 
the simulator.

So, no, I don't think it benefits GNUstep to implement a separate UIKit 
framework for the purposes of doing mobile development.  What I would 
target instead is something that bridges UI- classes to NS- classes (or 
whatever underlying GS- classes might be appropriate).  The aim is to 
just run the code, not attempt to duplicate the iOS experience.

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