Some frameworks don't even support writing your own components, some don't allow reusing parts of the UI, some don't even have proper layout engines you can modify, theming can be difficult, others dont have reactive values, most don't have a fast dev loop (make a change, see it, repeat), and so on. I've even tried using game engines like Godot and Bevy.

We like complaining about Electron, but let's be serious, as bad as it is, the other stuff is worse.

[–] FishFace@piefed.social 6 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Writing stuff in a proper gui framework using the tools we've had for decades is not really that bad, it's just not what all the tutorials are for. CSS can be an absolute pig to get things just so, or was until quite recently.

[–] onlinepersona@programming.dev 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

CSS is terrible, no doubt about it, but the problem is exactly that: native GUI frameworks haven't changed in the way they work. Why else do you think electron became popular? Obviously there was reason for it

[–] FishFace@piefed.social 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I think it became popular because you can deliver the same app to mobile and desktop platforms. And because js gave people a very easy intro to development on the web so tons of people know it.

I don't think it became popular because it was better at making an application on a single target. I've never made a webapp with the equivalent of GLADE or QtCreator so I don't know if it even exists - but those tools are very decent if you had a basic understanding of UI layout.

[–] bitfucker@programming.dev 1 points 4 hours ago

Then why can't QT provide the same benefit of delivering cross platform developing experience? See, that is the core issue. You write FOR the platform not for yourself. In the web space, the platform writes FOR you lest they want to break compliance with the rest of the web standard. When you are writing web application, you are writing program in a standard that the platform WILL follow instead of you following whatever the platform dictates at the time of their convenience

[–] naeap@sopuli.xyz -1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Well, I do get what he means...

I'm working with heavily themed Qt as a frontend in a rather large project.
Qt Creator (and QML) wasn't available at the start of the project and can't be used, as the code base isn't designed to run on just any machine and is linked to some RT threads.
Would be quite an effort to get the GUI working alone with mock interfaces and things.

So changing something, doing a recompile and see the layout scrambled is quite a downer.

In general I also hate the trend to electron & co "applications", but I still envy a friend of mine working with homepages, when he just needs to refresh the browser to see his changes.
Until I remember working on a homepage 20 years ago and the slight differences between browser were a major pain in the ass.

So, I guess, it's choose your poison...

I haven't really had the opportunity to look into modern C++ GUI Frameworks - and only slightly followed Qt changes, as most of them aren't relevant for the project.
Can anyone recommend something to look into?
Would be nice to have a good starting point, whenever I start something new.

[–] FishFace@piefed.social 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

What RT interfaces do electron apps let you use ;)

I'm confused why Qt Creator wasn't available - is this project old enough to vote or was there some technical reason :P