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Surely there is a way that you can write these kind of apps without Java?

Of course there is. You can write those kinds of apps in any general purpose programming language you like. It just appears that most programmers have chosen to go with Java for this.

Nothing is stopping you from writing one in your language of choice though if there isn't an open source one available in said language.

Do you have a particular language in mind?
 
Of course there is. You can write those kinds of apps in any general purpose programming language you like. It just appears that most programmers have chosen to go with Java for this.

Nothing is stopping you from writing one in your language of choice though if there isn't an open source one available in said language.

Do you have a particular language in mind?

Well I would like to see how it could be done in obj-c in Xcode, and I thought source code would be the best way to see this. Why is it that Java the environment of choice?
 
I would like to to know how it is possible to create more custom UI's for my apps. For example, spotify, gemini, chrome, sparrow, notes, omnifocus... all of these apps use UI's that aren't made from the std cocoa controls, what is the easiest way to do this in xcode for mac, or iOS?
 
It would increase your work but you can easy define your own controls and react on events yourself.

You might end up not using the interface builder at all but do the GUI fully in code; that what I do mostly anyway.

I would still create the own controls on UI* base classes but inherit some functionality (events like gestures) but finally you could go down to CoreAnimation and do lot yourself.
 
It would increase your work but you can easy define your own controls and react on events yourself.

You might end up not using the interface builder at all but do the GUI fully in code; that what I do mostly anyway.

I would still create the own controls on UI* base classes but inherit some functionality (events like gestures) but finally you could go down to CoreAnimation and do lot yourself.

I'm would be coming into this from zero experience (have always made UI's up in IB), any tutorials on how to do this, or names of the basic techniques required that I could look up my self?
 
Just have now a very old bookmark/sample of custom control handy. This one is not good anymore as you could control the round corners now easy with properties. It still would be helpful if you want inserted round corners and to see the idea behind...

http://iphonedevelopment.blogspot.jp/2008/11/creating-transparent-uiviews-rounded.html

Method drawRect is key here.

I think the documentation give tutorials on customer drawing function; I don't have access right now. I try to find more hint when I'm back home
 
Just have now a very old bookmark/sample of custom control handy. This one is not good anymore as you could control the round corners now easy with properties. It still would be helpful if you want inserted round corners and to see the idea behind...

http://iphonedevelopment.blogspot.jp/2008/11/creating-transparent-uiviews-rounded.html

Method drawRect is key here.

I think the documentation give tutorials on customer drawing function; I don't have access right now. I try to find more hint when I'm back home

OK, right this is making a little more sense now, would here be a good place to start?https://developer.apple.com/library...//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40003290-CH202-BBCJDGHJ
 
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