# Developing cross-platform apps



## CaptainFoo (Jul 13, 2001)

Hi,

I am looking into starting up a pretty big development project, featuring many custom GUI components. It will need to be cross-platform Mac OS X and Windows. Obviously I would like to share as much of the code as possible.

Whatever happened to Yellow box, were we not supposed to be able to do this?

If Yellow box can not be used, then what? Not very fun to program Mac OS X in C++ (Carbon?, PowerPlant?), when there is Java and Objective C.

Any ideas or suggestions welcome!


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## rharder (Jul 13, 2001)

You could go completely Java using the excellent Swing components for the GUI. You certainly can write full-featured, powerful software with that--look at Forte for Java as an example.

-Rob


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## CaptainFoo (Jul 13, 2001)

Unfortunately going 100% pure Java is not an option, since the application will be rather graphic intensive.

Also I think the Java swing for Mac OS X, feels very slow and buggy (especially with the Aqua theme), and it is probably impossible to get a Java application to comply with Aqua GUI guidelines. I want the menubar in top of the screen, and not change when focusing different windows etc.

I really, really hope that Java swing in OS X gets better and faster soon!

Thanks anyway Rharder!


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## CaptainFoo (Jul 14, 2001)

... Basically I would prefer is to write the whole application in Objective-C, and then port it to Windows. Have anyone done this? How much work is it? Can I use any of my Cocoa/Objective-C code in windows? Perhaps I should stick to Java, and write navtive links (in Win) for things I cannot do in Swing?

I guess this isn't really an OS X question, but it is at least a bit related...


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## rharder (Jul 16, 2001)

Hmmm. There's YellowBox for Windows, which gives you all (all?) the NSxxx classes and API's under Windows NT and maybe 95/98. I'm not sure what the status is of YellowBox. Is it active? Is it free now?

But I've got Project Builder and Interface Builder and TextEdit and some others on Windows NT, so I guess building a "Cocoa" app and running it under Windows is possible.

-Rob


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## iGuy (Jul 17, 2001)

Please see the following post regarding a commercial tool from Inprise.  I do not represent their interests.


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## iGuy (Jul 17, 2001)

Borland's JBuilder for OS X is due out shortly.  It is a Java2 platform target independent compiler/IDE that you might like.


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## CaptainFoo (Jul 20, 2001)

Rharder,

Where did you get your yellow box? I have looked all over Apple's pages, googled all over the web... Just can't find any info.


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