[webkit-dev] Widget / Drawing API thoughts

[Kent Sandvik]

On 6/20/05, Maciej Stachowiak <mjs at apple.com> wrote:
>One complicating factor here is the fact that we are planning to redo
> the way form controls are done soon. We want to make the layout
> engine draw them directly instead of using platform-native widgets,
> so instead of the various Qt widget classes we'd mostly just end up
> with a theme API for drawing the native look.
> 
> Perhaps temporarily we could set up the tree to work with either
> model, so ports can convert to the theme API approach on their own
> schedule.

Personally I would not mind if the switch from native widgets to a
generic draw system happens as early as possible, it's tough to
maintain dual drawing systems in the long term, and as there are no
other ports just now it's easier to get this in place. Unless this of
course breaks the macosx port big time.

Will the layout engine changes happen very soon, or over time (if over
time there's a need for the native widget system...)?

 - -Kent
PS: For me this would be  neat, as I could do all the primitive
drawings in DirectFB and LiTE for the port I'm looking at for embedded
Linux systems.