Aleksey Chernoraenko wrote:
IMO, the best GUI "framework" would be a *set* of separate, specific libraries each of which would provide good abstractions/algorithms in some specific gui-related area:
I'd like to emphasize the importance of Aleksey Chernoraenko's point. I know we've all gotten very used to using so-called "toolkits" or "frameworks" for GUI developments, that provide everything from string classes to threading support. Good programmers know better than this; lets not create yet another one of these horrible things that is doomed to die by its own limited entanglement. I think two primary design goals of any new GUI work should be "no unnecessary coupling" and "a model of the Open-Closed Principle" (OCP). As a refresher, the OCP is a design philosophy of classes, functions, and similar abstract entities, loosely stated as "open for extension, closed for modification." I think that any new GUI interfaces created that fail to make these items a priority in their design will share the fate of all traditional user-interface frameworks, being inappropriate for modern design, and doomed to obsoletion. Aaron W. LaFramboise