-> It'd probably be a lot more popular if it used MFC rather than a
-> proprietary library and/or allowed direct access to the API.
It does allow DIRECT access to the API.  The API is just a bunch of
DLLs.  Hence, if you know the function name, the parameters it expects,
and the DLL it resides in, you can call it.  This is the same as in MFC.
 MFC is a Framework, that encapsulates the API, so you call MFC and MFC
then calls the APIs.  When you use MFC, you are not DIRECTLY accessing
the API, you are calling it through MFC.  And, yes, MFC is proprietary
too.  So is OWL, so is VCL, and so is OCL (Optima++ Component Library).
VCL (C++ Builder and Delphi) and OCL are modern libraries, MFC and OWL
are now Legacy.  VCL and OCL are better and easier to use, and they are
component-centric.  My only gripe with VCL is that it is done entirely
in Object PASCAL.  I prefer OCL, PURE OOP, PURE C++...
                Dave - zanti@pacbell.net
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