[REBOL] Re: [native-UI] What's native?
From: greggirwin:mindspring at: 21-Jun-2004 18:28
Hi Carl,
CR> One of the complaints I receive about REBOL is it doesn't adopt
CR> the look-and-feel of the OS it's running on, though if it did, my
CR> complaint would be the program I'm using isn't consistant across
CR> platforms. So, I've come to believe the user should be given a
CR> choice in the matter, and ideally for each program they run.
I don't know if emulating other GUI systems is worth the effort (which
will be nothing short of enormous). Offering a native look isn't so
hard, but getting the native feel right will always be tough, and a
moving target at that.
One of the big benefits to a non-native GUI--which I never seem to see
mentioned--is what it's like to support apps that look and behave
differently on each OS they run on (discounting glitches). If I have
an interface that looks and behaves identically across platforms, I
don't have to be running the OS my customer is to tell them what
they're seeing on the screen, or what remember what special keys an OS
uses.
As an end user--one who spends most of his time on one platform--if I
can take my app with me, it helps to have it exactly like I'm used to
it on *my* native OS. Joel cites this as the single most important
feature his editor should have, and why he uses the one he does--it's
the same everywhere.
I know the Mac community is notorious for refusing to use apps that
don't adhere to UI standards, so that's obviously a tough call if you
want to sell a commercial app into that sector.
Just my 2 cents. It's a good topic.
-- Gregg