This is the eBook version of the printed book. Cross-Platform Development in C++ is the definitive guide to developing portable C/C++ application code that will run natively on Windows, Macintosh, and Linux/Unix platforms without compromising functionality, usability, or quality.
Long-time Mozilla and Netscape developer Syd Logan systematically addresses all the technical and management challenges associated with software portability from planning and design through coding, testing, and deployment. Drawing on his extensive experience with cross-platform development, Logan thoroughly covers issues ranging from the use of native APIs to the latest strategies for portable GUI development. Along the way, he demonstrates how to achieve feature parity while avoiding the problems inherent to traditional cross-platform development approaches.
This book will be an indispensable resource for every software professional and technical manager who is building new cross-platform software, porting existing C/C++ software, or planning software that may someday require cross-platform support.
Build Cross-Platform Applications without Compromise
Throughout the book, Logan illuminates his techniques with realistic scenarios and extensive, downloadable code examples, including a complete cross-platform GUI toolkit based on Mozilla-s XUL that you can download, modify, and learn from. Coverage includes
Policies and procedures used by Netscape, enabling them to ship Web browsers to millions of users on Windows, Mac OS, and Linux
Delivering functionality and interfaces that are consistent on all platforms
Understanding key similarities and differences among leading platform-specific GUI APIs, including Win32/.NET, Cocoa, and Gtk+
Determining when and when not to use native IDEs and how to limit their impact on portability
Leveraging standards-based APIs, including POSIX and STL
Avoiding hidden portability pitfalls associated with floating point, char types, data serialization, and types in C++
Utilizing platform abstraction libraries such as the Netscape Portable Runtime (NSPR)
Establishing an effective cross-platform bug reporting and tracking system
Creating builds for multiple platforms and detecting build failures across platforms when they occur
Understanding the native runtime environment and its impact on installation
Utilizing wxWidgets to create multi-platform GUI applications from a single code base
Thoroughly testing application portability
Understanding cross-platform GUI toolkit design with Trixul
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 3.0 / 5.0
Not useful:
This is a grab-bag of pretty weak essays about software development.
A small set of mostly irrelevant technologies is focused on. XUL is a good cross platform technology, but the author's own fledgling effort, trixul, has too little substance and too much focus. Too much time is spent introducing basic technologies - compilers, html, source code control, css - that the audience might be expected to already know in far greater detail than discussed here. By limiting the discussion to... more info
Good book:
To be honest this one of the few technical computer books I've read from cover to cover. I usually just use them for reference. On the subject of cross platform development this is currently the best and most up-to-date however there were a few areas I would have liked to seen covered better most notably the build environment and makes. Mr Logan does touch on these subjects but they are not given as much focus as I would have like to have seen which is why I'm taking one star away. With that said if I was... more info
reduce porting bugs:
Logan tackles a lot of grubby little complications that are the bane and reality of programmers writing multiplatform C++. This is not a book about learning C++ from scratch. Conceptually, it helps to think of this book as about 1 level above writing C++ code. For example, it discusses compiling, linking and running, where needed libraries might be missing. The book describes 3 platforms. Microsoft Windows, Macintosh and unix/linux. Strictly, the Macintosh is nowadays using a unix variant. But it's... more info
