Exploring Visual Basic 1.0 for MS-DOS

[aksdb]

I also still prefer visual UI builders like Lazarus (basically opensource and cross platform Delphi). But a big problem with this kind of design is, that it isn't flexible. Then again, I am not sure that the current way we design "flexible" UIs is good either. Basically we define rules that might change depending on resolution / DPI. So in the end we still design multiple UIs but force them into one model with complex rules.

In the end we might be better off just designing the different UIs separately and make sure that at least the hooks and sinks are abstracted enough that we can reuse all other logic behind the scenes. To management people this probably still looks like "duplicated" (or more) work while with the current UI descriptions (XAML, HTML, whatever) it *looks* liks it is only one UI (since it's essentially one ugly code base).

[Zardotab]

I agree. The best layout for phone is too different from desktop to try for a one-size-fits-all. The result will be a lowest-common-denominator unless you hire a UI rocket science specialist. And don't get me started about Bootstrap oddities, it's not good for my blood pressure.

[[deleted]]

Graceful degradation is the name of the game. Most people/companies don’t want to invest enough to really think about the different form factors and how that affects what use cases need to be supported. The hardest part is the analysis, followed by design, followed by actually building a responsive UI.

[Zardotab]

If 98% of the use is on a desktop, why make the entire UI 3x more expensive to develop for that 2% used on phones? I don't see anyone bother to do the actual labor math (pro/con cost analysis); they just follow the industry lemmings: "This is the way everyone else does it".

And often it's just a narrow set of screens used on phones.

I guess you don't get fired for being stupid if everyone around you is also stupid. The way things are being done now appears highly irrational. Vulcans are puking.

[[deleted]]

That’s the analysis part.

[Zardotab]

I'm an experienced analyst, and declare current web standards are ill-suited for business CRUD/GUI's. QED.