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From: schumach@stortek.com (Kurt Schumacher)
Subject: Re: Portable GUI Libs...
Message-ID: <1993Jan28.202123.19492@stortek.com>
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Reply-To: schumach@stortek.com
Organization: Storage Technology Corp
References: <1993Jan15.184119.16173@mks.com>
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 20:21:23 GMT

In article 16173@mks.com, jeffm@mks.com (Jeff Moll) writes:

>      I'd appreciate all comments people may have on any of the following
>cross platform GUI libraries:
>
>        StarView   by  StarDivision
>        Liant C++/Views   by Liant
>        zApp       by  Inmark Development
>        Guild      by  Guild Systems
>        Zinc Designer by Zinc
>

Jeff,

I've been using the Zinc Interface Library (ZIL) since version 1.0; nothing
serious yet, just my own personal programming projects.  (Zinc Designer, by
the way, is a component of the Zinc product that provides visual interface
design capabilities.)  ZIL just keeps getting better.  The version I have
(3.0) does DOS character mode, DOS graphics mode, and Windows from single
source.  The first couple of releases required a bit of modification between
DOS and Windows, but now there are really no code changes required.

Zinc also seems to cover more platforms than many of the other libraries.
The following are available or announced:
		DOS character mode
		DOS graphics mode
		Windows 3.1
		Windows NT
		OS/2
		UNIX Motif
		Macintosh
There are just a few missing: UNIX character mode and NextStep come to mind.

I just got the upgrade letter for Zinc 3.5.  They've rewritten the doc, which
was a weak point, and changed the packaging.  There is now a basic set of core
code (the "engine") and separate platform specific additions ("keys").  So you
buy only the parts you need.  Source code appears to be included, it used to be
a separate license.  There are other new features that I forget right now.

I would definitely recommend that you give Zinc a very close look.

	Kurt
