QML vs. HTML & JavaScript: What's my best option?
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We're building a cross-platform QML application that will act as a control center for a bunch of devices on a network that serve up HTTP/REST-style APIs. I'm considering making them also serve up a a Web interface, instead of writing a native application in Qt to interact with them. In that scenario, the Qt application would provide device-discovery and device-browsing on the network; when the user selected a device to control, we'd know the API endpoint or URL for it. Then I want to open a fully-capable browser window, give it the URL for the device, and that's it; from then on, the user will interact with it in that window.
I prefer to have that window integrated into the native application instead of launching the system's default browser. Can I do this with QtWebEngine?
The advantage to this approach (having the device serve a Web-based control UI) vs. writing QML to present a UI for the devices is that, if a user only wants to interact with one device, he can hit it with a regular browser. And there are more programmers around who know Web programming than Qt. The drawback is that the device will have to run a Web server and deliver the necessary Javascript and other presentation code to the client app.
I'd love to hear any opinions on whether this approach is viable and whether it's an advantage over writing a fully Qt/QML application. We do need Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android deployment. The devices to be controlled don't require a lot of throughput. We do want to be able to get notifications from them, for which I'm investigating server-sent events.
Thanks for any insight!
