Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sdd.hp.com!news.cs.indiana.edu!msi.umn.edu!noc.MR.NET!gacvx2.gac.edu!scott From: scott@next-8.gac.edu (Scott Hess) Newsgroups: comp.sys.next Subject: Re: Porting code from IB to use under XWindows Message-ID: Date: 10 Dec 90 16:02:39 GMT References: <1990Dec10.145907.24228@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU> Organization: Gustavus Adolphus College Lines: 34 Nntp-Posting-Host: next-8.gac.edu In-reply-to: jaj5c@helga7c.acc.Virginia.EDU's message of 10 Dec 90 14:59:07 GMTLines: 34 In article <1990Dec10.145907.24228@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU> jaj5c@helga7c.acc.Virginia.EDU (John Anthony Jordano) writes: I'm using IB to rapid prototype a user interface for an application we're developing. I'd like to develop the system fully on a NeXT, but our client has already locked themselves into a Sun workstation using XWindows. Is it easy, or even possible, to port code created by IB from NeXTStep to XWindows? I'm familiar with XWindow programming, but I've never programmed on a NeXT before. If we can port the code from IB, it will save us a few weeks in coding and debugging time, which is critical to us right now. First: (Hee, hee, hee - this in the background, sort of muffled). Second: That would be nice. The problem is, there's really no support for something like the appkit in most of the world - you could do it with Objective-C, but C++ would be harder. The problem is that you'd have to define a class hierarchy. Let me rephrase that: a _Class_ hierarchy. Right now, C++ has classes, and instances of them, but there are no instances who are classes. You could define these, of course, but this will take some thought (unless someone's done it . . .) The other problem is the massive amount of coding needed. When it comes right down to it, no, you cannot port Objective-C to X if you write code in a standard NextStep fashion. It might be possible to code things so that you _can_ port easily, but I suspect you lose most of the functionality of InterfaceBuilder (you'd have to code to the lowest common denominator, which isn't NextStep). -- scott hess scott@gac.edu Independent NeXT Developer GAC Undergrad "Tried anarchy, once. Found it had too many constraints . . ." "Buy "Sweat 'n wit '2 Live Crew'", a new weight loss record by Richard Simmons . . ."