distribution. The mailing list contains around 300-400 entries which is
quite large for a list of this type.<P>
+<H3>I am about to start a wxWindows 1.xx project. Should I use 2 instead?</H3>
+
+wxWindows 2 is still in beta but it's actually pretty useable (Windows, GTK, Motif).<P>
+
+Porting to wxWindows 2 from 1.xx will not be too painful; see the next question
+for ways in which you can make it easier.<P>
+
+<H3>Why would I want to use wxWindows 2 in preference to wxWindows 1.xx?</H3>
+
+Some reasons:
+
+<ul>
+<li>In 2 there is far more flexibility, for example in the way windows can be
+nested, and the way events are intercepted.
+<li>There is more functionality for producing sophisticated applications,
+for example using the wxTreeCtrl and wxListCtrl classes.
+<li>There is better C++-conformance (such as usage of wxString and const) which
+will make your applications more reliable and easier to maintain.
+<li>wxWindows 2 will be better supported than 1.xx.
+<li>The GTK version is attractive for people interested in writing Linux and GNOME
+applications.
+<li>The Mac version will be one of the best frameworks available on that platform.
+</ul>
+
+<H3>How can I prepare for wxWindows 2?</H3>
+
+To make porting to wxWindows 2 easier in the future, take a look at some
+<a href="http://web.ukonline.co.uk/julian.smart/wxwin/prepare.htm">tips</a> for writing existing code in a 2-compatible way.<P>
+
+<H3>How much has the API changed since 1.xx?</H3>
+
+It's difficult to summarize, but some aspects haven't changed very much. For example, if you have some
+complex drawing code, you will mostly need to make sure it's parameterised with a device
+context (instead of obtaining one from a window or storing it). You won't have
+to completely rewrite the drawing code.<P>
+
+The way that events are handled has changed, so for example, where you overrode
+OnSize before, you now have a non-virtual OnSize with a single event class argument.
+To make this function known to wxWindows, you add an entry in an 'event table' using macros. Addition of these macros
+will eventually be made easier by a tool which will allow selection from a list
+and copy-and-paste into your editor. This is extended to button presses, listbox selection
+etc. so callbacks have gone (they may be added back for limited backward compatibility).<P>
+
+The class hierarchy has changed to allow greater flexibility but it probably won't affect your
+existing application. One exception to this is MDI applications which now use separate MDI classes instead of style
+flags. As a result, it won't be possible to switch between MDI and SDI operation at run-time
+without further coding, but a benefit is less interdependence between areas of code,
+and therefore smaller executable size.<P>
+
+Panel items (now called controls) no longer have labels associated with most of them,
+and default panel layout has been removed. The idea is that you make greater use
+of dialog resources, for better-looking dialogs.<P>
+
+<H3>What classes have disappeared?</H3>
+
+wxForm, wxTextWindow (subsumed into wxTextCtrl).
+
+<H3>Does wxWindows 2 mean that wxWindows 1.xx is dead?</H3>
+
+While wxWindows 2 is being developed, there will be further patches to wxWindows 1.xx.
+Obviously we are investing most of our energy into the new code, but we're also trying
+to fix bugs in the current version.<P>
+
+<H3>What platforms will be supported by wxWindows 2?</H3>
+
+<ul>
+<li>Windows 3.1, Windows 95/98, Windows NT;
+<li>Linux and other Unix platforms with GTK+;
+<li>Unix with Motif or the free Motif clone Lesstif;
+<li>Mac (coming later in 1999);
+<li>A BeOS port is being investigated.
+<li>A Windows CE port is being investigated.
+<li>There are no plans to support OS/2 or XView. However,
+you may be able to compile the GTK and Motif versions under OS/2 with X and GTK
+installed, or the Windows version with IBM's Open32 extensions.
+</ul>
+<P>
+
+<H3>How does wxWindows 2 support platform-specific features?</H3>
+
+This is a hotly-debated topic amongst the developers. My own philosophy
+is to make wxWindows as platform-independent as possible, but allow in a
+few classes (functions, window styles) that are platform-specific.
+For example, Windows metafiles and Windows 95 taskbar icons have
+their own classes on Windows, but nowhere else. Because these classes
+are provided and are wxWindows-compatible, it doesn't take much
+coding effort for an application programmer to add support for
+some functionality that the user on a particular platform might otherwise
+miss. Also, some classes that started off as platform-specific, such
+as the MDI classes, have been emulated on other platforms. I can imagine
+that even wxTaskBarIcon may be implemented for Unix desktops one day.
+<P>
+
+In other words, wxWindows is not a 'lowest common denominator' approach,
+but it will still be possible to write portable programs using the
+core API. Forbidding some platform-specific classes would be a stupid
+approach that would alienate many potential users, and encourage
+the perception that toolkits such as wxWindows are not up to the demands
+of today's sophisticated applications.<P>
+
+Currently resources such as bitmaps and icons are handled in a platform-specific
+way, but it is hoped to reduce this dependence in due course.<P>
+
+Another reason why wxWindows 2 is not a 'lowest common denominator' toolkit is that
+some functionality missing on some platform has been provided using generic,
+platform-independent code, such as the wxTreeCtrl and wxListCtrl classes.<P>
+
+<H3>Does wxWindows use STL? or the standard string class?</H3>
+
+No. This is a much-discussed topic that has (many times) ended with the conclusion that it is in
+wxWindows' best interests to avoid use of templates. Not all compilers can handle
+templates adequately so it would dramatically reduce the number of compilers
+and platforms that could be supported. It would also be undersirable to make
+wxWindows dependent on another large library that may have to be downloaded and installed.
+In addition, use of templates can lead to executable bloat, which is something
+wxWindows 2 is strenously trying to avoid.<P>
+
+The standard C++ string class is not used, again because it is not available to all compilers,
+and it is not necessarily a very efficient implementation. Also, we retain more flexibility
+by being able to modify our own string class. Some compatibility with the string class
+has been built into wxString.<P>
+
+There is nothing to stop an application using templates or the string class for its own
+purposes.<P>
+
+<H3>How is wxWindows 2 being developed?</H3>
+
+We are using the <a href="cvs.htm">CVS</a> system to develop and maintain wxWindows. This allows
+us to make alterations and upload them instantly to the server in Edinburgh, from
+which others can update their source.<P>
+
+<H3>How is wxWindows 2 distributed?</H3>
+
+By ftp, and via the <a href="cdrom2.htm">wxWindows CD-ROM</a>.<P>
+
+<H3>What are the plans for the future?</H3>
+
+Currently we're working too hard on getting wxWindows 2 finished (are GUI toolkits ever
+finished?) to think very far ahead. However, we know we want to make wxWindows as robust
+and well-publicised as possible. We also want to aim for better platform-independence of
+resources such as icons and bitmaps, standardising on the PNG for all platforms.<P>
+
+Other possibilities include: DCOM/CORBA compatibility; a wxWindows book; an
+<a href="http://web.ukonline.co.uk/julian.smart/wxwin/wxide.htm">IDE</a>;
+other platforms; other interface abilities such as speech output.<P>
+
+We will investigate the possibility of compiler or operating system vendors bundling wxWindows with
+their product.<P>
+
+The high-level goal of wxWindows is to be thought of as the number one C++ framework,
+for virtually any platform. Move over, MFC!<P>
+
+<H3>What about Java?</H3>
+
+The Java honeymoon period is over :-) and people are realising that it cannot
+meet all their cross-platform development needs. We don't anticipate a major threat
+from Java, and the level of interest in wxWindows is as high as ever.<P>
+
+<H3>How can I help the project?</H3>
+
+Please check out the <a href="http://web.ukonline.co.uk/julian.smart/wxwin/develop.htm" target=main>Backroom</a> pages,
+in particular the <a href="http://web.ukonline.co.uk/julian.smart/wxwin/projects.htm">suggested projects</a>, and
+mail <a href="mailto:julian.smart@ukonline.co.uk">Julian Smart</a> or the developers' mailing list with your own suggestions.<P>
+
</font>
</BODY>
See also <a href="faq.htm">top-level FAQ page</a>.
<hr>
-<h3>Is Windows 3.1 supported?</h3>
+<h3>Which Windows platforms are supported?</h3>
-Yes! Unlike Microsoft, we have not forgotten users of 16-bit Windows. Most features
+wxWindows can be used to develop and deliver applications on Windows 3.1, Win32s,
+Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT. A Windows CE version is being looked into (see below).<P>
+
+wxWindows 2 is designed to make use of WIN32 features and controls. However, unlike Microsoft,
+we have not forgotten users of 16-bit Windows. Most features
work under Windows 3.1, including wxTreeCtrl and wxListCtrl using the generic implementation.
-However, don't expect Windows 95-specific classes to work, such as wxTaskBar. The wxRegConfig
+However, don't expect very Windows-specific classes to work, such as wxTaskBarIcon. The wxRegConfig
class doesn't work either because the Windows 3.1 registry is very simplistic. Check out the 16-bit
makefiles to see what other files have been left out.
<P>
16-bit compilation is supported under Visual C++ 1.5, and Borland BC++ 4 to 5.
<P>
+wxWindows 2 for Windows will also compile on Unix with gcc using TWIN32 from <a href="http://www.willows.com" target=_top>Willows</a>,
+although TWIN32 is still in a preliminary state. The resulting executables are
+Unix binaries that work with the TWIN32 Windows API emulator.<P>
+
+You can also compile wxWindows 2 for Windows on Unix with Cygwin or Mingw32, resulting
+in executables that will run on Windows. So in theory you could write your applications
+using wxGTK or wxMotif, then check/debug your wxWindows for Windows
+programs with TWIN32, and finally produce an ix86 Windows executable using Cygwin/Mingw32,
+without ever needing a copy of Microsoft Windows. See the Technical Note on the Web site detailing cross-compilation.<P>
+
+<h3>What about Windows CE?</h3>
+
+This is under consideration, though we need to get wxWindows Unicode-aware first.
+There are other interesting issues, such as how to combine the menubar and toolbar APIs
+as Windows CE requires. But there's no doubt that it will be possible, albeit
+by mostly cutting down wxWindows 2 API functionality, and adding a few classes here
+and there. Since wxWindows for 2 produces small binaries (less than 300K for
+the statically-linked 'minimal' sample), shoehorning wxWindows 2 into a Windows CE device's limited
+storage should not be a problem.<P>
+
<h3>What compilers are supported?</h3>
Please see the wxWindows 2 for Windows install.txt file for up-to-date information, but
what we need to do, and have some header files ready to use containing appropriate
type definitions. Just about every file in wxWindows will need changes, due to the
pervasive nature of characters and character arrays. Unicode support is needed
-for the port to Windows CE (see
below).<P>
+for the port to Windows CE (see
above).<P>
-<h3>What about Windows CE?</h3>
+<h3>Can you compile wxWindows 2 as a DLL?</h3>
-This is under consideration, though we need to get wxWindows Unicode-aware first.
-There are other interesting issues, such as how to combine the menubar and toolbar APIs
-as Windows CE requires.<P>
+Yes (using the Visual C++ makefile), but be aware that distributing DLLs is a thorny issue
+and you may be better off compiling statically-linked applications, unless you're
+delivering a suite of separate programs, or you're compiling a lot of wxWindows applications
+and have limited hard disk space.<P>
+
+With a DLL approach, and with different versions and configurations of wxWindows
+needing to be catered for, the end user may end up with a host of large DLLs in his or her Windows system directory,
+negating the point of using DLLs. Of course, this is not a problem just associated with
+wxWindows!
+<P>
+
+
+<H3>Will wxWindows be compatible with MFC?</H3>
+
+There is a sample which demonstrates MFC and wxWindows code co-existing in the same
+application. However, don't expect to be able to enable wxWindows windows with OLE-2
+functionality using MFC.<P>
</font>
projects / wxWidgets.git / commitdiff
