Ubuntu – How will the Ubuntu Phone SDK impact desktop development

application-developmentqt5ubuntu-phone

If I was to develop an application for Ubuntu after the Ubuntu Phone announcement, I would be concerned with several issues. I know that these things will not change immediately, but I'm thinking about the strategic decision to ensure good support from Canonical.

  • Will QML/QT be the way forward now also for the desktop environment?
  • Is Quickly now a tool of the past?
  • What languages will be the preferred languages? Is C++ and JavaScript the way for the future while Python and Vala might not be the most strategic choices?
  • How will this affect existing APIs? Will the traditional model with libraries change?

Best Answer

  • Qt has been a first-class toolkit on Ubuntu for several cycles, and will likely become one of the most important toolkits for cross-formfactor development on Ubuntu. But no existing languages or toolkits are being deprecated on the Desktop.
  • Yes, Quickly will be less important as a tool for developing Ubuntu SDK apps. The Quickly developers have decided that it would be better to build the same functionality into QtCreator itself, rather than build Qt/QML templates for Quickly.
  • QML (which can contain Javascript) will be the recommended language and toolkit for cross-formfactor development in Ubuntu. Python, Vala, C and C++ will continue to be available, though the extent to which they are recommended for new development may change.
  • Existing APIs should not be affected by the Ubuntu QML Toolkit, though which ones we recommend will change depending on which ones best support our various formfactors.

I hope this answers your questions and concerns.

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