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Windows Look-in-feel on Unix box?

 
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Does anyone know if there are any problems or limitations to using the Windows LNF on a unix platform? Motif is the default LNF on my Unix box and I always heard that Windows LNF in Motif causes display problems. I am developing my application in Windows with Windows LNF, but when testing my app on a Unix box with Motif and allowing the app to set it's LNF based upon the LNF of the platform, some of the widgets when displayed in Motif LNF are showing up different than I expected. One of my collegues is requesting that we force all platforms to the Windows LNF (the LNF we developed in). Is there a problem with this?
Thanks,
Lon Allen
 
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Originally posted by Lon Allen:
Does anyone know if there are any problems or limitations to using the Windows LNF on a unix platform? Motif is the default LNF on my Unix box and I always heard that Windows LNF in Motif causes display problems. ... One of my collegues is requesting that we force all platforms to the Windows LNF (the LNF we developed in). Is there a problem with this?


For one thing, the Windows LNF does not (last I checked) run on MacOS (which would include MacOS X) due to copyright issues. So forcing everybody to use it would hinder portability somewhat.

The best way to see how the components look is to run the Swing Demo (included with the JDK) and use its menu to switch the various components.

Also note that Sun's GUI guidelines recommend not allowing the user to switch a given program at runtime (even though the swing demo allows it); there are said to be (in the GUI guide) some minor problems caused by switching after a program has been started up.

------------------
Ian Darwin,
Author of Java Cookbook: Solutions and Examples for Java Developers
 
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A big problem, yes! The Windows Look and Feel only works for Java applications/applets running under Windows, for pretty obvious trademark reasons. The Mac OS Look and Feel follows the same restriction, working only under the Mac OS. This can be one of the real challenges of developing consistant Swing applications for multiple platforms.
The solution? The Java or cross platform Look and Feel, Metal. I personally think Metal is excellent and a smart choice for any multi-platform application. Of course, that's just my opinion and a surprising number of people don't agree with me.
 
Lon Allen
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