Comment by pjmlp

It did happen before, X Windows Athena and Motif used layouts, because no two X Windows Thin Clients were alike.

Same applies to Tcl/Tk and Java Swing that build on the same principles.

On Windows side, Windows Forms introduced layout manager, Delphi and C++ builder did the same with VCL.

Qt and wxWindows also have layout managers since the early days.

What happens is that people cargo cult how native programming used to be like, and youger generations only care about Web and mobile.