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Why isn't there a way to make near-native desktop UIs that's similar in ease to browser and electron UIs? (lemmy.ml)

submitted 10 months ago by cyclohexane@lemmy.ml to c/programming@programming.dev

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it seems ridiculous that we have to embed an entire browser, meant for internet web browsing, just to create a cross-platform UI with moderate ease.

Why are native or semi-native UI frameworks lagging so far behind? am I wrong in thinking this? are there easier, declarative frameworks for creating semi-native UIs on desktop that don't look like windows 1998?

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[–] MajorHavoc@lemmy.world 14 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Lots of other very pragmatic solutions also seem ridiculous.

Every problem is going to cost either clock cycles or highly skilled programmer time.

Currently, in the world, all eleven competent user interface element developers are occupied with more important tasks.

Until one of those eleven finds some extra free time, the rest of us get to slap electron into everything, and he thankful we can spread our atrocious CSS anti-talents to one more problem-space.

[–] cyclohexane@lemmy.ml 3 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

~~Who are these eleven? Didn't realize the number is so small. Who determines who they are?~~

Turns out it was an exaggeration

[–] MajorHavoc@lemmy.world 9 points 10 months ago (2 children)

I am, hopefully, exaggerating on the 11 count. I don't know the exact number, and likely no one does - but it genuinely is shockingly small, considering how critical usability and accessibility are to everyday use of code.

Anyone can study the principles of usability and accessibility, but the number of experts we have really is far too few, and I suspect it's is why we have so much reuse instead of innovation, right now.

[–] bmarinov@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

You are not far off. In my previous project we attempted to rewrite a desktop app and we started with a skeleton crew. Hiring for the frontend was tough, we got one very good xaml (wpf / winui etc) dev in the first year. Then, in the middle of the corona lockdowns, for 12 months we kept only getting mediocre candidates from across the world, with no relevant experience whatsoever. Then we found our second full time frontend dev, who only stayed 3 months and once he saw how clueless management is, bolted.

Funnily enough the aforementioned manager experts started asking what's wrong and why we 'fail to fill the positions'. We were stuck in the native desktop world product-wise, an unattractive and challenging tech stack with difficult problems to solve, with poor management and low budget. That's what was up. Now I'm happily working on the backend / web / cloud side of things and I'm definitely not looking back or picking up another tech lead position for a project with non existent team to start with. /o\

[–] cyclohexane@lemmy.ml 2 points 10 months ago

My bad for misunderstanding your exaggeration 😅