12 replies to this topic

[broncoslb]

What would you guys recommend to use to build a GUI. GTK+, QT4, wxWidgets, or FLTK? I want to use it in Code::Blocks on my Ubuntu machine. Thanks

[TkTech]

None of the above, lookup JUICE

[v0id]

A little correction to TkTech's post; it's JUCE, without the I.
The official website can be found here: Raw Material Software - Juce

[carly]

on any OS, use native apis.
GUI libs are useless (only for kids who can't program)

[v0id]

carly said:

GUI libs are useless (only for kids who can't program)

Stupidest comment I've heard in a long time. GUI libraries are not useless if you're planning to do cross-platform programming, and also, GUI libraries usually speed up things, because they've a lot of functionality, and you don't have to lookup different API calls, and in which order to call them. Don't get me wrong; it's great to know what's going on under the hood, but saying GUI libraries are useless is stupid, IMO.

No offense...

Edit: By the way, many GUI libraries do use the native API of the operating system.

[dargueta]

Just to build on that, however, if you want to really learn, use the native APIs directly. It'll be harder at first, but you'll learn a lot. I know from experience.

[broncoslb]

Thanks for the replies, I'll look into JUCE and take a closer look at the native api

[TkTech]

Quote

on any OS, use native apis.
GUI libs are useless (only for kids who can't program)

You, I'm afraid to say, will never finish a major programming project. Why? Because you'll still be sitting there doing operations on 0xA0000000L instead of using a higher level API. Of course its good to know whats going on under the hood, but its hardly necessary. Its almost always faster, and in many cases more efficient to use a popular library thats been well optimized.

Or are the hundreds of commercial games written in OpenGL done by nubs who don't compare to your l33t BI0S skills?

[jazzfan]

Well, the Gtk+ and qt are the biggest multi platform GUI builders. Qt maybe have better developing software (Qtdesigner and Kdevelop) but GTK+ is much closer to C, gtkmm is GTK+ layer which add support for classes, polymorphisms, templates, while Qt is some how "new" c++, complete new language with c++ syntax if you ask me.....

anyway, it's your choice....

[dargueta]

You can also use integrated GUI designers, such as the one provided in Microsoft's Visual Studio 2008 suite. It combines a program editor, compiler, debugger, and GUI designer in one package for Visual C#, Visual Basic, Visual C++, and Visual Web Developer.

[peter Laman]

v0id said:

Stupidest comment I've heard in a long time. GUI libraries are not useless if you're planning to do cross-platform programming, and also, GUI libraries usually speed up things, because they've a lot of functionality, and you don't have to lookup different API calls, and in which order to call them. Don't get me wrong; it's great to know what's going on under the hood, but saying GUI libraries are useless is stupid, IMO.

No offense...

Edit: By the way, many GUI libraries do use the native API of the operating system.

In fact, they all do that, because there's no other way to do it.

[v0id]

"peter Laman" said:

In fact, they all do that, because there's no other way to do it.

Well, yes and no. I said it because some libraries are built on top of other libraries, and therefore don't use the native API directly. Of course, the underlying library will use it. So, in an indirect way it will still be used, and you're right, in the end it will use the native API.