A long while back I got really frustrated with wxWidgets when, using it's GTK backend, began
spouting random GDK fatal errors at runtime. I ultimately got so frustrated I stopped using
wxWidgets in RexIDE altogether.
I chose wxWidgets initially because there were no other viable cross-platform toolkits at the
time that a)did not bind users to the GPL and b) did not cost money. I love open source, but I was
unable to accept the GPL. It scares me.
After Nokia released Qt 4.5 under the LGPL, and as frustrated with wxWidgets as I was with
wxWidgets, I could not resist long the switch to such a proven toolkit.
The next problem was that my wxWidgets-based code was worthless if I was using Qt. So I had to
literally rewrite RexIDE from scratch. The vast majority of RexIDE's functionality has already been
ported to the new codebase, and I am getting ready to commit it to SVN.
RexIDE's SVN has been primed for the upload of the new codebase. The old, wxWidgets-based code
has been moved to
it's own branch where it will die a lonely death. Should anyone choose to resurrect it (provided
they follow the licence terms available with the code), it will be their responsibility, not mine
Things to note
- The license has changed to just the revised BSD License. This is a very permissive license, and
enables you to do most anything you could with the old mess of a license.
- Qt's runtime libraries are larger than that of wxWidgets, but nowhere near the size of the M$ .NET runtime.
- The Rexadecimal hex editor rewrite is not finished yet. But it looks better ;)
- With Qt's GTK style, RexIDE should intergrate into GTK-based desktop environments just as well. In Qt-based
desktop environments (KDE), no need to comment there. Qt's Mac style intergrates better than wxWidget's very old
Mac bindings. On Windows Qt has a WindowsXP style and a Vista style, but Windows users aren't as passionate (and picky)
as Mac or X11 users, anyways.
- The new codebase has not been uploaded yet, but be patient.
Sorry I did not report this sooner.
Also, this web page has a new theme.
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