[cairo] Pure Cairo UI ?

askok at dnainternet.net askok at dnainternet.net
Mon Oct 17 07:26:09 PDT 2005


Well, it really seems the "thing" I'm after does not (yet) exist, and I'm okay
with that. Just wanted to make sure, before starting to Do It.  GnuStep, or any
other existing all-whistles GUI is way over the top for my need.  It's basically
an OS-transparent, scriptable system (all applications in a dynamic language)
that'd use Cairo and SDL as the "canvas" to draw to.  Targetting the Embedded
world makes a much slimmer requirement than what either Gtk+ or GNUstep would be.

Anyone wanting to contribute (now, or in next 2 year) please take contact...
-ak


Quoting Fred Kiefer <fredkiefer at gmx.de>:

> Asko Kauppi wrote:
> > 
> > Is there still no "pure Cairo" UI project, anywhere?  Sort of a 
> window
> > manager (not necessarily windows, in the traditional 2D  meaning..)
> that
> > would sit on top of the Cairo graphics engine, and  manage multiple
> apps
> > using Cairo for their graphics output.
> > 
> > Googling for +cairo +UI gives lots of NT4.0 mentions... yeap. :!
> > 
> > So, am I just asking the wrong question, or is the question okay but 
> a
> > bit too early?  Is my analogy of Cairo==Quartz2D, and Aqua==the 
> missing
> > link right?
> > 
> 
> Perhaps I am putting to much emphasis on your Quartz/Aqua analogy. I
> don't know of an Aqua equivalent based on cairo, but I have an
> intermediat solution to offer: GNUstep with the cairo backend.
> 
> GNUstep (www.gnustep.org) could be regarded as the equivalent to Cocoa,
> which Aqua builds on top of. There are currently quite a few open
> problems with GNUstep based on cairo. For example I never did get my
> head around copying from one surface to another (or worse to the same
> one). Currently this code should be regarded as alpha, but it should
> not
> be to hard to fix the remaining problems with cairo.
> 
> As a GNUstep backend encapsulates all the drawing for a GNUstep
> application, all GNUstep applications are "pure cairo UI". There is
> even
> GWorkspace, a work place manager. There are also a few attemps on
> window
> managers using GNUstep, but these should also in alpha state.
> 
> Fred
> 


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