From: "Horacio López" <vruz@...>
Date: 2002-01-22T12:57:18+09:00
Subject: Re: RANT: Ruby GUI API

>>> This is just personal opinion but I'd hate to see the Ruby GUI API
>>> standardize on anything C++ based. I've used a few C++ UI toolkits and,
>>> while they all worked, they were just so un-Ruby. Part of the joy of
Ruby
>> is
>>> that you don't have to start subclassing to get anything done.
>>
>> Not sure about what  "few C++ UI" toolkits you are talking about,
>> but the FXRuby bindings even support Ruby specific constructs
>> like iterators for some tasks.
>> (http://fxruby.sourceforge.net/)
>
>I'd give it a try but I can't find FOX for Quartz, my Wintel machine is
dead
>and my wife stole my Linux Mac. I may yet try it in VPC.

You are right, I didn't realize there's no Fox for the Mac.

>I don't understand how iterators can be ruby specific. They are part of the
STL.

When I say "iterators" in this context, I am referring specifically
to Ruby iterators.
The way you use Ruby iterators is Ruby specific.

How FXRuby uses Ruby iterators :
http://fxruby.sourceforge.net/doc/differences.html#AEN396

More about Ruby iterators:
http://www.rubycentral.com/book/tut_containers.html

>BTW, a few C++ UI toolkits means MFC, PowerPlant and MacApp and another
>X-Platform one that escapes me.

MFC does a lot more than displaying GUI objects, it can even download a file
via FTP,  so I wouldn't call it exactly a GUI toolkit, rather a general
purpose library,
PowerPlant and MacApp are  obviously available for the Mac, but not for
other platforms, so that's why I don't know them.

When I say "toolkit" what I really want to say is:  an open source,
cross-platform,
graphical user interface library, that is able to manipulate objects on the
screen like
pushbuttons, listboxes, dropdown menus and such.

cheers,
                  vruz

---
God help those who do not help themselves.
Wilson Mizner (1876 - 1933)