[comp.windows.x] Xw on Sparc? Xaw vs Xw vs XView? Interp layout constraints?

hvr@kimba.Sun.COM (Heather Rose) (03/19/90)

In article <6873.25ff8b27@swift.cs.tcd.ie> jorice@swift.cs.tcd.ie writes:
>
>(4) On the subject of XView, how is it to program? I'm wary of it because I
>found programming in SunView needlessly difficult and I think that SunView
>applications look really clutzy. How much better is XView? How much disk space
>does it take up when compiled, roughly?

XView has been significantly improved over SunView.  Here's some of the
high lights:

1) XView is truly object oriented; whereas SunView was pseudo object oriented.

2) XView is extensible; whereas SunView was not.

3) XView has cleaned up many of the API issues by using generic functions
and attributes.

4) XView has a much improved user interface, OPEN LOOK.

5) XView incorporates the features of X11.  i.e. no more limitations on 
the number of windows per process based upon file descriptors.  

In general, the feedback from XView programmers has been very positive.
They find it easy to program to as evidenced by the number of commercial
applications currently and soon to be available.  

Now, as far as disk space requirements, your mileage will vary.  On a SPARC
with XView 1.0.1 the static libxview.a library is about 1419800 bytes.
When using shared libraries, the size is averaged among the number of 
applications currently running.  

FYI:  MIPS magazine has a running monthly total of applications available
for a particular GUI.  If you're interested, the majority of OPEN LOOK GUI
applications counted are written in either SunView or XView, mostly XView.

__________________________________________________________________
Heather Rose
Window Systems Group                      internet:  hrose@sun.com
Sun Microsystems, Inc.                        uucp:  ...!sun!hrose