>While I actually prefer cross-platform over native widgets I also
>hate the waste of development time to recreate working solutions, to
>reinvent the wheel.
>
>You can spend enough development time to recreate what you could get
>by simply embedding for example the internet explorer as a widget in
>Windows applications.  Or on Linux, by using the qhtml widget or
>their rich text editor or whatevever.

Agreed that having to roll-you-own GUI solutions to recurring
problems, such as displying lists of information for selection,
binary options, chose-from-various options, and the like, is
wasteful; provided, however, that there is agreement as to a "best
way" to accomplish same.  For example, if we believe that the
"standard widget set" is the ideal for these interactions, by all
means it is useful to implement them in Squeak.

I still consider the question quite open, however, as to how best to
present the user with various controls and alternatives -- and
acknowledge that the "standard widget set" may well be inadequate in
comparison to some novel solutions.  Accordingly, if your
specification REQUIRES a "standard widget," by all means build one
and share the same.

In the meanwhile, I am open to the possibility that pink plane
Squeakers may well find another, perhaps a better, way.

And that's just the end product.  Even if we assumed that the
end-user-look-and-feel were completely specified, there still remains
substantial dissent among designers as to how to present access to
that core "API," whatever it is.

So many tools, so little time.  I don't know what is the best way,
but surely there is a better way than merely to duplicate or
approximate existing tools to make existing GUIs.

That being said, I agree with Mr. Aust that a solid-looking widget
set that is easy to use may well be a real-nice-thing-to-have.  I
have offered some MVC widgets and look forward to others to find a
way.
-- 
Andrew C. Greenberg		acg at netwolves.com
V.P. Eng., R&D, 		813.885.2779 (office)
NetWolves Corporation		813.885.2380 (facsimile)
www.netwolves.com

Please use werdna at mucow.com instead of werdna at gate.net