Ryan Lowe on XAML, XUL & Co

Hello,

  Ryan Lowe has written up a blog story titled "NextGen GUI Choices".

  Ryan writes:

  Developers seem much less concerned about common look and feel these
days. Was this ushered in by web apps, which all look different but
use simple widgets? Skinning takes this to the extreme by making
distinct looking UIs with equally complicated and custom widgets
sometimes. This can't be good for usability, can it? While new types
of widgets are interesting, it will only increase the training effort
needed to use the software.

  XML markup languages are all the rage, beating limited and hard to
use WYSIWYG tools. I would say that with a minor amount of training
and/or DHTML experience a good graphic designer could become familiar
with these markups. Designers of these markup languages should keep in
mind that graphic designers and UI experts are using them, and make
them look HTML-like while seperating code from the GUI as much as
possible.

  XAML does this well, XUL -- which is scattered with JavaScript
method calls on event handlers -- does not. UI designers need to be in
the driver's seat with GUIs and need to be able to manipulate them
quickly and freely. XML markup languages will enable this and free
GUIs from API calls, putting GUIs back into the control of graphic
designers and usability experts where they belong.

  Cross-platform will become more, not less, of an issue. If Microsoft