Re: [Boost-users] Boost thread conflicts with MFC

Subject: Re: [Boost-users] Boost thread conflicts with MFC
From: Michael Olea (oleaj_at_[hidden])
Date: 2009-04-09 17:06:56

On Apr 9, 2009, at 2:23 PM, Robert Ramey wrote:

> Mike Marchywka wrote:
>
>> Have you considered java for the gui? You can get
>> platform-look-and-feel etc but if your customers absolutely need it
>> to look like Windoze, well... I wouldn't rec it for performance but
>> if you need a gui it
>> is safe and has a lot stuff and has a native interface. It
>> is also a bit more portable than MFC LOL.
>
> I was always turned off by java.  My perception was that
> as an interpreted language it was going to be slower than C++.
> Why learn yet another language just to go slower.
>
> The clincher was that I got a contract to take over a project
> that had missed its delivery target and the software wasn't
> even close.  The hard ware was all done and tested so there
> was huge financial pressure to deliver the machine.
> (usually I only get a job when every other
> alternative has been exhausted).  The previous programmers
> had taken this approach.  It was very, very slow. This ratified
> my prejudice.  I took the job with the understanding I was to
> produce a working prototype in 30 days.  I keep the C++
> part and added on a gui with mfc.  Made the deadline
> with a couple of days to spare.
>
>> And, I have to admit I'm still ticked off that the utiliy app
>> that came with my wireless card has to be killed or, even
>> while minimized, it uses up all the GDI objects in a few hours and
>> crashes my machine. If you need to include some production code as an
>> "Afterthought" java avoids really bad things like memory leaks etc...
>
> The hassles with things like memory leaks, threading races, etc
> with this application were what led me to boost in the first place.
> That's how I got here.  Currently I prefer to use boost for the "guts"
> and MFC for the "GUI viewer/manuiplator".  But they don't always
> play nice together.  This my core complaint with MFC.  It's too
> coupled so you endup sucking in a lot of stuff you don't want.
>
> When I look at wxWidgets, QT, etc.  I see they have classes
> for strings, multithreading, etc.  This gives me pause as it would
> seem that the GUI layer might be coupled to other parts of
> the library which I would prefer to use boost for.
>
> I've also been looking at WTL (microsoft Windows Template
> Library) which looks like a thin templatized layer over Win32.
>
> I'm sort of limited in that I need a system which "just works"
> rather "can be made to work".

Have you looked at:

http://smartwin.sourceforge.net/

I have never tried it (if I did Windows GUIs I would check it out) so  
I cannot vouch for it, but it sounds interesting:

"SmartWin++ is a modern designed C++ library, it uses STL where  
possible and boost where needed..."

"...We believe that STL and Boost are good tools and should be used  
in favor of creating your own bug-prone classes to substitute them!  
If it exists in Boost or in STL it does NOT exist in SmartWin++!! :)..."

"... SmartWin++ does NOT try to solve your marriage problems. It  
cares only about GUI. If you need a network library, search  
elsewhere. SmartWin++ will not solve your TCP/IP problems or your  
HTTP problems or your Dijkstra's Extra problems! SmartWin++ is about  
GUI, nothing more, nothing less! We try to be the best in ONE area  
which is GUI development! This makes the library small, slick, fast  
and good looking! ;)"

-- Michael