The Pixate Project: Bringing CSS to Native Apps

In Java at least this has been tried before. There was something called the Jaxx Framework [1]. jaxxframework.org now seems to be defunct so I guess it died.<p>Personally I'm unenthused.<p>For one thing, the typical reason to write native apps these days is that it's a mobile app. Certainly on iOS you'd be better off staying on the reservation. There's only 2/3 resolutions to support anyway (plus two orientations for each). Android is of course more varied.<p>For desktop apps, you're getting increasingly specialized software (the rest going to Web apps) and your best bet is still to stick to the native libraries (Cocoa, WPF, etc).<p>[1]: <a href="http://weblogs.java.net/blog/enicholas/archive/2006/03/style_swing_com.html" rel="nofollow">http://weblogs.java.net/blog/enicholas/archive/2006/03/style...</a>

This is awesome. I don't understand why people are hating on CSS (for one, their hatings don't include reasons <i>why</i>); to me it is a beautiful way to separate form from function. Changing that one button from green to blue? Easy enough with or without CSS. Changing that same button in every one of its 163 possible locations? CSS saves lives in these scenarios.

I did this for iOS 2 years ago for a hackathon. <a href="http://cssapply.github.com/CSSApply/" rel="nofollow">http://cssapply.github.com/CSSApply/</a><p>It's not entirely done but it's a good start for someone.<p>The video explains it more: <a href="http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/16073539/highlight/187549" rel="nofollow">http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/16073539/highlight/187549</a>

GTK 3 uses CSS for user styles and themes too, I think. See <a href="https://desktopsummit.org/sites/www.desktopsummit.org/files/Theming%20GTK3%20Widgets%20with%20CSS.pdf" rel="nofollow">https://desktopsummit.org/sites/www.desktopsummit.org/files/...</a><p>This replaces the old `.gtkrc` system.<p>Those with recent Ubuntu desktops, try it out!

I find it somewhat suspicious that the original Pixate kickstarter was for ¢200,000 but they cancelled that 6 days prior to the deadline, with only ~$21k raised [1]. Now they're back with a new kickstarter for $25,000 (which they've passed) [2]. This article also raises the same questions [3]<p>This might not be too suspicious except that no where do they address what happened in the first campaign and what has changed since. Why did they need $200,000 a month ago but now only need $25,000? What has changed?<p>As the Dragons Den catchphrase goes, "for that reason, I'm out"<p>[1] <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2015210423/pixate-beautiful-native-mobile-apps-with-css" rel="nofollow">http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2015210423/pixate-beauti...</a><p>[2] <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pixate/beautiful-native-mobile-apps" rel="nofollow">http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pixate/beautiful-native-...</a><p>[3] <a href="http://thenextweb.com/insider/2012/08/26/is-pixate-astroturfing-kickstarter/" rel="nofollow">http://thenextweb.com/insider/2012/08/26/is-pixate-astroturf...</a><p>Edit: added the links

And then there's Blossom[1], which does the opposite: remove CSS from web apps.<p>Blossom lets you build native-quality web apps for mobile browsers without every touching the DOM or CSS -- it's 100% JavaScript.<p>(Full disclosure: I developed Blossom earlier this year.)<p>[1] <a href="https://github.com/fohr/blossom" rel="nofollow">https://github.com/fohr/blossom</a>

I found this interesting when I saw it before. I had thought of something similar after seeing Nimbus Chameleon <a href="http://blog.jeffverkoeyen.com/nimbus-chameleon" rel="nofollow">http://blog.jeffverkoeyen.com/nimbus-chameleon</a> The difference for me however was I was just thinking iOS and was wondering if something could be created that utilized the UIAppearance APIs in UIKit <a href="http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#documentation/uikit/reference/UIAppearance_Protocol/Reference/Reference.html" rel="nofollow">http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#documentation/uikit/...</a><p>Edit: I realized I ran into something that does almost exactly what I wanted a couple weeks ago on github <a href="https://github.com/robertwijas/UISS" rel="nofollow">https://github.com/robertwijas/UISS</a>

Qt supports CSS stylesheets: <a href="http://doc.qt.nokia.com/4.7-snapshot/stylesheet-examples.html" rel="nofollow">http://doc.qt.nokia.com/4.7-snapshot/stylesheet-examples.htm...</a><p>Qt has also QML, which gives developing "native" apps bit web feel.

CSS layout for native apps? I have to hack heights for a vertical center position?

I already have a frontend engineer considering switching to native iOS and Android apps just so he can get away from CSS.<p>I am not exaggerating, that is 99% the reason for his desire to abandon ship. He complains about CSS <i>daily</i> despite being one of the more knowledgeable people I know about CSS, save for the rare occasion he asks me a question.<p>Why should I react to this project by doing anything other than lighting a molotov cocktail?