[Tutor] Creating menu shortcut key bindings

[dn]

(chuckling, over the @Alan/dn debating, comparing, and contrasting)


On 02/06/2023 11.37, Alan Gauld via Tutor wrote:
> On 01/06/2023 23:14, dn via Tutor wrote:
> 
>> Disclaimer: My bias is to use HTML5 for multi-platform GUI.
> 
> I don't like web browsers as an operating system so I still
> build desktop apps. But rarely do they need to be multi-platform,
> but if so I use Java.

Heresy!


>> One of the short-comings in the Python world has been the lack of a
>> GUI-generator.
> 
> Agreed, I've tried several but none were entirely successful.
> And that goes extra for tkinter. The GTk and Qt worlds have
> usable tools but Tkinter and WxPython struggle.

With apologies, I forgot/neglected to observe that the popular GUIs, eg 
the three above; are *not* Python, but additional modules/libraries - 
although tkinter is in the PSL (?delivered with all 'desktop versions' 
of Python?).


>> designer's PoV, makes it a lot easier to involve the user - and on the
>> machine in 'dynamic mode' rather than on-paper or a white-board. (see
>> also Agile approaches)
> 
> Yes, in my working life I've found dummy UIs to be an invaluable
> tool when teasing out user expectations and workflow issues.

Agreed, but when it comes to "I want this in bright pink" or "can we 
widen that field?", there's no substitute for doing it on a 'workbench'* 
and enabling the user to see and think in user-mode.

*and having the user say: "ooh yuk! Please put it back."!


>> The 'holy grail' of such generators is 'round-tripping': the ability to
>> generate a GUI's code from some layout, PLUS to take existing code and
>> use it within the generator.
> 
> I've never found any GUI builder that is really capable of that.
> Some can work with modified code if the programmer copies the
> tool's own style but give them a raw app written by hand and
> they usually fall over in a heap!
> 
> That said, if I have to develop a GUI app I use:
> - Delphi/Lazarus on Windows/Linux
> - Apple's X Developer/Swift for MacOS (sometimes with Python
>    as the target!)
> - Java Swing or Fx for multi platform. (Once upon a time I'd
>    have included SmallTalk here but my SmallTalk is too rusty now!)

Apologies to you if you didn't see the Delphi set-up coming. It was 
thoroughly remarkable in this regard! As were several of the Borland 
generator-tools of that era. Perhaps even the standard by which us 
old-f***s judge today's offerings?


> Tkinter is great for front-ending command-line apps or building
> a database browser. But for anything more sophisticated there
> are better tools. All IMHO of course...

+1

-- 
Regards,
=dn