[Mono-list] Windows forms.

fssc hsauro@fssc.demon.co.uk
Sat, 6 Jul 2002 23:49:08 -0700

I've been a windows programmer for many years and although I've toyed with
Linux, I have found
that GUI programming on Linux to be too fiddly and of course platform
specific (I know, there's Java but it's no good for GUI development, and
there is Kylix but it's not perceived to be an accepted language to use).

I remember when the mono project was first suggested, people where really
upset at the thought of supporting Microsoft etc etc, but it's ironic that
it's the mono project (the final cog in the wheel so to speak) that has
convinced me and probably many others that Linux could be a viable desktop
development platform. But it does depend on GUI cross-platform development,
I'd be happy to dump Windows.Forms so long as the alternative is better,
well supported and really does work cross-platform. The problem is, as the
previous emailer suggests, may others my not be so willing.

Herbert Sauro

----- Original Message -----
From: "Brad Wilson" <dotnetguy@pobox.com>
To: "Mono" <mono-list@ximian.com>
Sent: Saturday, July 06, 2002 11:11 AM
Subject: Re: [Mono-list] Windows forms.

> IMO, without Windows Forms, the Mono story is less compelling. Yes, it's
> hard, yes, it sucks, but without it, that means that anybody bringing an
> with any sort of GUI to Linux is going to have to have conditional GUI
> and that's going to be too high a barrier of entry. I don't think it can
> stressed enough how important it is for Linux in general to be able to
> attract the Windows programmers, and Mono is the only realistic way to do
> that. Microsoft is selling .NET to the Win32 folks, and we're buying it
> quite fully. If Linux wants to evolve out of its server niche and onto the
> desktop, it needs a friendlier UI and a lot of apps. IMO, you absolutely
> need Mono -- with Windows Forms -- to accomplish the latter.