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Valdi – A cross-platform UI framework that delivers native performance

github.com

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Re: Valdi – A cross-platform UI framework that delivers native performance

#221

Post by hu3 »

hippo22 wrote: post #202
sheepscreek wrote: post #145

I looked at the source code (as an amateur application developer) and boy, is it over-engineered and complex! Then I remember having built a complex Cordova app more than a decade ago, where I had to make C++, JNI and Javascript interop all play nice and this project feels a lot like that. Lots of moving parts. I suppose this is just the way things are when you are targetting such different ecosystems as Android and…

As an amateur, how can you tell that's it's overly complex? Do you understand what you're even looking at? Or do you feel that you should be able to understand it and anything above your ability to understand is "over engineered?" This seems like the Dunning-Kruger effect more than anything else.

A rule of thumb I like to use for measuring complecity for interactive visual stuff is to count how many layers there are between an action and the reaction.

For example, when a user clicks a button, how many calls and moving pieces are involved between the click and something happening on the screen as a reaction to that click.

Often it's a good indicator of how deep the rabbit hole goes.

Re: Valdi – A cross-platform UI framework that delivers native performance

#222

Post by bickeringyokel »

mesm3 wrote: post #136
DecoPerson wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I did this and never looked back. It’s called a “WebView app” and you can get a really good experience on all platforms using them. Just: - don’t make any crazy decisions on your fundamental UI components, like breadcrumbs, select dropdowns, etc - add a few platform-specific specialisations to those same components, to make them feel a bit more familiar, such as button styling, or using a self-simplifying back-stack…

Using webviews on native platforms can look very appealing from a management perspective: a single codebase, simpler coordination, reduced UX overhead, and faster iteration cycles. However, from the user's side, this approach often results in a buggy, inconsistent experience that lacks the responsiveness and smoothness of a true native app that elusive "snappy" feeling (i know, I hate that word too) Companies usually…

This comments spot on. Coming from a guy that used to do mobile professionally as a one man show where the company had multiple apps and multiple stacks. I had the least pain from the ionic stack which I guess is a happy middle ground, but even then there's always some new app store requirement changes to adhere that's almost a full-time job in itself.

Re: Valdi – A cross-platform UI framework that delivers native performance

#224

Post by flanbiscuit »

JaggerJo wrote: post #108

Just write 2 native UIs in the 2 platform native languages and share a common core written in any language that offers a C like FFI. How hard could it be?

With Swift SDK for Android, you can write all of your code logic in Swift for both and only need write the native UI related code for Android and iOS.

https://www.swift.org/blog/nightly-swift-sdk-for-android/

Re: Valdi – A cross-platform UI framework that delivers native performance

#225

Post by efilife »

ramraj07 wrote: post #164
xmprt wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You kind of just proved my point. If they want attention to detail and good performance then writing native is probably better. The simplicity that I was referring to was the number of views that need to be implemented. A cross platform UI framework would help if there were hundreds of views that needed to be built consistently but for the number of views in Snapchat, I think native implementations would probably be…

They famously DID NOT have any android app for a while. Contrary to what the Emacs HN keyboard warriors might think, the world actually used predominantly iPhone as the smartphone especially among the kids in the US. Their android experience didnt really matter.

"the world actually used predominantly iPhone as the smartphone especially among the kids in the US"

The world or the us?

Re: Valdi – A cross-platform UI framework that delivers native performance

#226

Post by efilife »

GaryBluto wrote: post #212
antonvs wrote: post #203

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Having never used Discord myself, please convince me that I should never bother. I.e. what’s so bad about it?

What lblume and nicce said, with the addition of it being both a Chinese-controlled privacy nightmare (with it apparently requiring non VOIP phone numbers for verification after being logged in for a while), as well as it making the bar to entry for cretins close to zero, meaning you'll soon find whatever chatroom you set up a prime example of Eternal September.

Chinese? Please elaborate

Re: Valdi – A cross-platform UI framework that delivers native performance

#227

Post by riversflow »

adastra22 wrote: post #175
riversflow wrote: post #167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The app store is the only application that I am aware of that you can't find through spotlight search. You can search the app store directly from spotlight search, but it will never list the App Store as an app. Very annoying.

I just opened spotlight and typed “ap” and App Store came up as the first option.

Thanks for this comment. I was able to fix this issue, finally. Had to toggle the switch in setting> apps> App Store > search and restart my devices. :)

I thought it was some legal thing about App Store competition.

Re: Valdi – A cross-platform UI framework that delivers native performance

#228

Post by sebmellen »

DecoPerson wrote: post #197
sebmellen wrote: post #196

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Trust me, native camera access is extremely important if you need to directly control focus (for example). We have web and mobile apps that scan ID images and our ability to capture high quality images on mobile native devices is 5x better. AVFoundation on iOS especially.

You can still have native views that appear over the WebView for certain tasks. I think you can also provide your own rendering context for elements, so you could roll your own element for showing the current camera view. Either way, you can still have full native camera control without having a 100% native app.

Yes not disagreeing there

Re: Valdi – A cross-platform UI framework that delivers native performance

#229

Post by sheepscreek »

hu3 wrote: post #221
hippo22 wrote: post #202

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As an amateur, how can you tell that's it's overly complex? Do you understand what you're even looking at? Or do you feel that you should be able to understand it and anything above your ability to understand is "over engineered?" This seems like the Dunning-Kruger effect more than anything else.

A rule of thumb I like to use for measuring complecity for interactive visual stuff is to count how many layers there are between an action and the reaction. For example, when a user clicks a button, how many calls and moving pieces are involved between the click and something happening on the screen as a reaction to that click. Often it's a good indicator of how deep the rabbit hole goes.

Basically you nailed it. I am an amateur “application developer” but I have 20+ years of software engineering experience, including many - building complex web applications. The thing I did 15 yrs ago isn’t even something a typical dev would be able to do. So even though it’s not what I have done a lot, I feel I am qualified enough to comment on it.

A bit like - a history teacher (me) commenting on an anthropology paper.

Re: Valdi – A cross-platform UI framework that delivers native performance

#230

Post by sans_souse »

ramraj07 wrote: post #143
sans_souse wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't take me argument as one against the point that it was massively popular and influential, en contraire, that's often the common factor in things I tend to dislike: the norm/ the mainstream. It's mostly subjective when talking UI, and a lot plays in too regarding the lack of competive platforms with different UI's.

My point is that (I think) they became popular because of their UI and UX. They remagined how a small touch screen user experience could be most intuitive if you dont come with legacy mindset. For people used to keyboard and mice this might look weird but snap makes sense to the newer generation. If all the other apps look similar its because they copied it. This is like calling Citizen Kane boring.

Snapchat | Citizen Kane You can have this one I want no part of this xD
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