Re: Re: Have you looked at UIML?

> > I read the post about XUL and a thought occurred!
> > Have anyone looked
> > at UIML?
> 
>   Yes, I looked at UIML. It's a dead end and a piece
> of junk.

That only time can tell. But definitely not a piece of junk!

>  
> > I'm not an expert on GUI and XML and such but what I
> > have read so far,
> > I think that UIML is more related to the goals of
> > anygui than XUL.
> 
>   You're kidding. XUL has the backing of major engines
> (Mozilla, Luxor, etc.) and books are hitting the
> shelfs as we speak. UIML has no industry backing
> whatsoever (well deserved) and UIML is way too complex
> and abstract to be useful. 

My view is that XUL evolved alongside with its engine implementation,
and the documentation came later only, so it can be hardly considered
a specification, while UIML is built on a solid basis of HCI research
with a sound specification.

As for complexity, when you _really_ look at it, you will find that
UIML is in fact very clean, and instantly realize what points XUL
missed. UIML contains a hell lot more information about the user
interface it describes than XUL. But as long as you stick to hand-code
your GUIs in XUL, there's really not much point using UIML for the task.
The difference comes on a higher level, that is not yet achieved in the
vast majority of today's IT products. However, when time comes to that,
this step will be taken, that I'm sure of, so don't yet bury UIML.

Anyways, it is quite hard to compare something built to describe a
common (sub)set of major GUI engines, with something designed to
describe a device independent user interface with regards to all of
its aspects. 

Forgive me if I used an insulent tone, but how comes when you advocate
XUL, it's "superior" to anygui's API, but when there's something that
is superior to XUL, it is then labeled as a "way too complex piece of
junk"?

And yes, it would be indeed profitable to harmonize anygui widget and
attribute names to those used in XUL, for I am concerned that the
creators of XUL did good research on the common subset of GUI engines.
XUL is also more aware of the ideas in different GUI engines than Glade
that is designed solely for GTK/Gnome.

The time of UIML may have not yet come, however, it just won't hurt
reading the UIML specification to get a faint idea of what else waits
there to be considered...

Regards,
Tamas



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