Re: [boost] py_cpp

From: David Abrahams (abrahams_at_[hidden])
Date: 2000-10-19 08:55:30

----- Original Message -----
From: "Moore, Paul" <paul.moore_at_[hidden]>

I wrote:
> > It really depends whether you think that
> > the general scope of the C++ standard will
> > be limited for all time to generalized
> > computational jobs and basic i/o. I believe
> > that for C++ to survive and thrive, it will
> > need to have a vastly expanded library,
> > that begins to cover the same kind of
> > territory as Java's or Python's library (see
> > http://www.pythonlabs.com/pub/www.python.org/doc/current/modindex.html).
> > Why do people decide
> > to build their GUIs in web browsers with
> > HTML/Java/JavaScript instead of C++ these days?
> > There are lots of reasons, but the fact that
> > there's no standard, portable C++ GUI is one of
> > them.
>
> Urk. I'll have to keep a very tight rein on myself here. Cross-platform
GUIs
> are one of my big hobby horses. I have very strong opinions that GUI
> interfaces should conform 100% to the standard look and feel of the
platform
> on which they are running. Java (AWT/Swing) and TCL (Tk) are the two
common
> languages with portable GUIs, and in neither case do I feel that they do
> this. (PLEASE don't ask me to expand on this, or you'll get a huge, highly
> off-topic, and fairly unproductive message...)

Yeah, yeah. I agree with all of that, but I think it only helps prove my
point. People are making these decisions even in /spite/ of the fact that
they don't get 100% standard look-and-feel.

> Of course, other areas of these language libraries *are* good examples of
> places where C++ could do with good library support. You could also look
at
> Perl's CPAN for more examples.
>
> But are you arguing for copying those library designs in C++, or using the
> existing code from C++ via inter-language hooks? (I can see both as
> vluable).

Either, but mostly the former. Or, if not copying the designs ('cause
sometimes the designs are no good), at least broadening C++'s library to
cover a similar scope.

but-don't-try-to-sell-me-anything-written-in-perl-ly y'rs,
dave