Crossplatform Layout Manager Helpers/Testers Required

[Foz]

Okay, it's time for me to crawl out of the woodwork and ask for assistance

I'm working on a PB Layout Manager, for the sole purpose of developing on one platform and running on another. (In my case, develop in Linux, run on Windows). I realise that some things will not translate the same across OSs, so the aim is to have a simplified toolkit that can be used across all platforms.

The biggest issue with forms though is that different OSs have different sized buttons, string gadgets, etc - even more so in Linux with multiple window managers. This has been discussed many, many times. Now thanks to Freak releasing some base code of getting the size of gadgets cross platform, that has given me some hope in doing so. However, my expertise only goes so far, and cross platform api is not one of them.

I have a working sample on Windows and Linux, but I have managed to break the OSX side, and I'm not sure how to fix it.

It will be available for anyone to play with, but I'm looking for people who can work with the APIs initially - I want to expand the toolset as much as possible (and get it working) before moving onto a Visual Designer. So, I am in need of people who are api guru's on Windows, GTK and OSX.

If you're interested, please, let me know!

[blueznl]

After looking at many VD's, RAD's, and cross platform toolkits my conclusion was that there is no definitie one size fits all answer.

But I'm not so convinced anymore there has to be one!

I'm more and more inclined to adapt a sort of PureForm behavior (though that's hear-say, as I never used it )... In other words, an external tool is used to lay out your windows / gadgets, using standard PB GUI elements.

Assuming a layout manager would allow more fancy stuff (such as changing size, fonts, colours, and identifying objects) a project could be transplanted to another OS.

When that project is run at the new OS, it takes relaunching the layout manager and adjust objects to look optimal on that OS, but (assuming objects have a unique identification) this is a one time for most objects. If the codebase is modified on platform A, and the code is transplanted, all 'new' 'unidentified' objects would assume their default style, no matter how ugly.

All it would take then is a launch the layout manager, and adjust the badly looking GUI elements.

This could be taken one step further: add a 'lock' functionality, so certain aspects of objects can be 'unlocked'. Users would then be able to even rebuild their GUI without the programmer being bothered about it. (Would be rather nightmarish for online help people though, hehe )