Cross platform GUI toolkits

[VectraMan]

Anybody got any experience with the likes of wxWidgets, GTK, QT etc.?

wxWidgets looks quite straightforward, though I'm a little put off that it's MFC-like. It also uses the native controls, which is good in some ways but makes me doubt how cross platform it'll really be and you end up with #ifs to deal with the different quirks of the different platforms.

Some of the others have their own controls, which makes it consistent across platforms, but then inconsistent with the platform. That approach also suggests to me that it'll be slower and clunkier.

And if custom controls are required (certainly will with the stuff I'm working on), does that mean having to write a different control for each platform, or is there enough of an abstracted drawing API that it isn't necessary?

Of course by "cross platform" I mean x86, i.e. Windows/Linux/Church of Jobs.

[DimPrawn]

Do it all in C# .NET and run it under Mono.

http://mono-project.com/Main_Page

Sorted!

[d000hg]

I think any toolkit that doesn't use the native API will suck and look really clunky. Like how Java apps often look really crappy.

But why don't you ask wxWidgets questions on the wxWidgets forums, they will know about writing custom controls. In fact there might be a tutorial on the site they can point you to - I don't remember seeing one but I've not used wxWidgets for that particular use, all my custom controls have just been composites of existing controls.

One good thing about wx is there are proper visual tools for it, which is a big plus if you're doing anything serious.

[DimPrawn]

I don't think that's the case with Mono.

On Windows it looks like Windows and on Linux it looks like a native GTK# wotnot.

http://mono-project.com/Screenshots

[minestrone]

have you considered Eclipse RCP?

http://www.eclipse.org/home/categories/rcp.php

Never used it but it's all the rage these days.

[VectraMan]

How well does Mono work on the Mac, because virtually all the website seems to be comparing Linux and Windows?

2 minutes of looking at the Eclipse website and my impression is that it's ridiculously over-engineered.

But thanks for the info, and thankyou for not suggesting Java.

[DimPrawn]

How well does Mono work on the Mac, because virtually all the website seems to be comparing Linux and Windows?

2 minutes of looking at the Eclipse website and my impression is that it's ridiculously over-engineered.

But thanks for the info, and thankyou for not suggesting Java.

I've no idea, but http://mono-project.com/Mono:OSX