GUI definition for web and desktop

[Daniel Fetchinson]

> >>  >>  > I'm looking for a simple text based GUI definition format and
> >>
> >> [...]
> >>
> >>>> I believe Glade produces XML descriptions of its interfaces, so wxGlade
> >>  >>  would be one possible starting-point.
> >>  >>
> >>  >
> >>  > Glade does, but dont confuse it with wxGlade. wxGlade can generate
> >>  > direct python code or XRC files.
> >>  >
> >>
> >> So what are you telling me - that XRC files aren't XML?
> >>
> >
> > Im telling you to not confuse its format with Glade's format. Both are
> > xml, but are different things.
> >
> Thanks. My original advice still stands.

Thanks everyone for the advice!

It's clear to me that the logic behind a web interface and a desktop
interface are two totally different things. I don't want a magic
method to convert an html/javascript based web app to a desktop app as
this is clearly impossible.

But if both interfaces a specific component, which in the desktop case
is a dialog window, in the web app case a particular page and in both
cases the component is simply a list of text fields, radio buttons and
file selection button then it makes sense to have code that can be
used for both concerning the presentation only. So no business logic,
only the presentation, something that says "we have 3 text fields with
these labels and a radio button with such and such labels". Such a
definition makes perfect sense for both a web app and a desktop app
regardless of the fact that they work totally differently.

If I don't have such a shared widget definition then I have to update
both the web app (which is done using turbogears so essentially python
code) and the desktop app (also python) separately when new text
fields are introduced so they constantly have to be in sync. That is
error prone and will surely introduce bugs.