GUIs - A Modest Proposal

[Adam Tauno Williams]

On Sat, 2010-06-05 at 19:22 -0700, ant wrote:
> I get the strong feeling that nobody is really happy with the state of
> Python GUIs.

> WxPython and PyGtk are both powerful, but quirky in different ways.

All widget libraries are quirky - because sophisticated user interfaces
are complicated.  If you make a new one that is sophisticated enough to
be really useful - it will be "quirky".

>  PyQt is tied to one platform.

No it isn't.

> Whether or not we like graphics programming, it's not going to go
> away. I get the
> uneasy feeling whenever I start a new project that there should be a
> 'better' GUI
> than the ones I currently use (WxPython and PyGtk).
> 
> Fragmentation is our enemy. 

So fragment some more?  And at least PyGtk is a wrapper around Gtk, so
in a sense that is anti-fragmentation.  It is reusing Gtk which is also
reused as Gtk# by Mono/.NET and other bindings.

> Our resources are being dissipated. Is it not time to start again? 

No.

> I ask the group; should we try to create a new GUI for Python, with
> the following properties?:
> - Pythonic
> - The default GUI (so it replaces Tkinter)
> - It has the support of the majority of the Python community
> - Simple and obvious to use for simple things
> - Comprehensive, for complicated things
> - Cross-platform
> - Looks good (to be defined)
> - As small as possible in its default form

Good luck.  Seems pointless to me.

> But don't we owe it to the community?

Seems like there are already several very mature options.