Re: pkg-config --libs gtk+-2.0 omits -mwindows on Windows

[Tor Lillqvist <tml iki fi>]

John D. Ramsdell writes:
 > If you write an FLTK application on Linux, and follow the FLTK
 > documentation on how to write build files, the build process for your
 > application is identical on all platforms.

The build process might be identical, but the behaviour of apps
certainly isn't.

 > I believe we should strive to give GTK+ application developers the
 > same experience.

The fact is that Windows is not Unix, and Unix is not Windows. The
behaviour of apps with respect to output to stdout and stderr is not
the same. No way around that. If you use -mwindows, printf() calls
don't show up even if you start the app from a command prompt. If you
don't use -mwindows, the app opens a new console window if started
from Explorer (even if it doesn't output anything to stdout or
stderr). Neither case is "the same experience" as on Unix. The
developer must choose which behavious he wants at which stage in the
development. (IMHO the natural choice is to create console executables
while developing, but windowing executables when building deliverables
for end-users.) It's not GTK+'s business to force -mwindows all the
time. (And if you say, "well, the developer can use -mconsole while
developing to override", well, where is the "same experience" you
advertise then?)

I won't bother discussing this any further.

--tml