Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!apple!sun-barr!newstop!sun!ravi!anantha
From: anantha%ravi@Sun.COM (Anantha Srirama)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.misc
Subject: Re: OSF/Motif vs. NeWS vs. SUN/Open Windows vs. ?
Message-ID: <130335@sun.Eng.Sun.COM>
Date: 16 Jan 90 22:15:53 GMT
References: <15521@well.UUCP> <1504@ole.UUCP>
Sender: news@sun.Eng.Sun.COM
Lines: 62
To: beaver.cs.washington.edu!sumax!ole!bryan

In comp.windows.misc you write:

>I am interested in the pros and cons for OSF/Motif, NeWS, Sun/Open Windows,
>and any other GUI toolkits people have had experience developing applications
>with.

>I am looking for the following impressions:

> o Versatility - Can a scale valuator have a color spectrum displayed along
>     side of the slider?  If not, what range of data can the scale contain?
>     How versatile are other control objects(ie. buttons, integer entry fields,
>     etc.)?  What can be done if a toolkit does not have a control you desire
>     or the control is not robust enough to handle a needed feature?

> o Platform Independence - Do these toolkits port easily to different
>     platforms(ie. Apollo, Sun, Silicon Graphics, etc.)?

> o Learning Curve - How easy is it to learn if you have experience with another
>     GUI toolkit or have written one yourself?  Is the documentation good?
>     Is customer service good?

A couple of weeks ago someone from Bellcore posted a summary of his efforts
with different GUIs.  Look in the comp.windows... for more info.

> o GUI builders - What tools are built on top of these toolkits to allow an
>     application builder an interactive tool to design and test a GUI?
>     How versatile are these tools?

Sun has announced/demoed GUIDE (Graphical User Interface Development Env.)  It
should be shipping as a developers release pretty soon, weeks not months.  This
package lets you build interfaces conforming to OpenLook specification.  I
don't believe Motif has any such tool to build interfaces.  BTW, I am not your
source on when GUIDE will ship.  My information on the release date is coming
from some of the publications, not internal sources.

>I will gladly compile and post any information I receive.
>Thank you for your help.
>-- 
>Bryan O. Paulson		(UUCP:  ...!uw-beaver!sumax!ole!bryan)
>Seattle Silicon Corporation
>3075 112th Ave NE
>Bellevue, WA  98004 		(206)-828-4422

I don't know the technical merits/demerits of each of these GUIs.  But from
what I have been reading about OSF, Motif may be the next generation of vapor-
ware.  For all practical purposes OSF is melting away just like US Memories.
Major papers/publications/journals have been talking about this for a couple
of months now, the battle may be over with SVR4/OpenLook winning in the second
round by technical knock-out.  Seriously consider the availability/support of
Motif in future before you decide on what system you are going to use.

BTW, these are all my biased opinions and do not reflect those of my employer
who is in the SVR4 camp :->

	-Anantha-

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