Re-architecture

[athairus]

On the UI side, create platform-specific interfaces that utilize native widgets. Namely:

• Windows: Windows API aka win32 API (maybe, don't want to leave Windows 7 users behind), Modern API (maybe we could get listed in the Windows store?)
• macOS: Cocoa (?)
• Linux: ???

Rationale: Every platform has its quirks and it may take less effort to use native widgets, where these quirks are implemented for free, than custom widgets where we have to do everything

The frontend will now consist of two "backends": A library backend (which will provide data in the optimal format for each platform) and an emulator backend (which will handle making instances of the backend process, see #314 for more details)

[athairus]

Frontends

Note: % of userbase provided by Steam hardware survey, using November 2016 numbers

Windows

UWP API (aka Modern/Metro/Windows Runtime/WinRT)

Covers 48.37% of the userbase
Only the latest Windows 10 is supported by this API
Documentation: https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/develop

Samples

Grid/listview sample: https://github.com/Microsoft/Windows-universal-samples/tree/master/Samples/XamlListView/cs
Even better example: https://github.com/Microsoft/Windows-universal-samples/tree/master/Samples/XamlUIBasics/cs/AppUIBasics

Notes

• Sandboxing the emulator in a separate process means we're not eligible to submit the app to the app store...
• Extensive documentation on design available here
• An example of a large number of grid entries can be found in the Windows Store app. Scrolling very quickly has some hiccups and lag. Might have to look into this further
  • https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/uwp/debug-test-perf/optimize-gridview-and-listview
    • TL;DW: Use inremental updating
  • Use Extended SelectionMode when using the mouse, Multiple when using touch
• Input
  • No DirectInput? Mapping DirectInput devices to XInput is common in the PC gaming community, so not a huge loss. According to KI's creative director, as of 8 months ago, DirectInput should be coming in a future Windows 10 update.
  • Use of Windows.Gaming.Input strongly recommended over XInput, latency much lower apparently
  • We automatically get controller support for navigating the UI. Details here.

Windows API (aka WinAPI/Win32)

Covers 47.03% of the userbase
Currently no plans to create a frontend for Windows Vista/7/8/8.1. PRs welcome!

UI

• Widget browser/dev tool
  • https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/bb773165(v=vs.85).aspx
    • Download link is broken, mirror needed
• List view
  • https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/dn742408.aspx
• Theming
  • https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/bb773187(v=vs.85).aspx

macOS

Covers 3.59% of the userbase

Linux

Covers 0.88% of the userbase

[athairus]

Backends

(reserved)

[athairus]

Alternate multi-platform frontends

https://nwjs.io/

• In the desktop world most of the UI/UX work goes towards web technologies. Using this gives us a huge body of libraries to utilize