Recommendation for c++ gui builder?

This forum can be used to talk about general design strategies, new ideas and questions in general related to wxWidgets. If you feel your questions doesn't fit anywhere, put it here.
Post Reply
buttonsrtoys
Experienced Solver
Experienced Solver
Posts: 58
Joined: Mon Jul 03, 2017 12:03 am

Recommendation for c++ gui builder?

Post by buttonsrtoys »

I'd investigating Wx GUI builders for c++ development on Windows. I'm finding there's a few, including wxFormBuilder, wxCrafter, and wxGlade. Is there a preferred choice among the community? If not, what are some of the pros and cons of each?
User avatar
eranon
Can't get richer than this
Can't get richer than this
Posts: 867
Joined: Sun May 13, 2012 11:42 pm
Location: France
Contact:

Re: Recommendation for c++ gui builder?

Post by eranon »

I used wxSmith (embedded in Codeblocks IDE) and wxGlade. Both have their pros and cons. wxSmith is maintained (by the C::B team), but doesn't progress anymore (well, need to be verified with the C::B team to be sure, of course;). wxGlade has some bugs, but can generate both C++ and Python code (ie. for wxPython). Also, there're wxFormBuilder, DialogBlocks, wxCrafter (w/ CodeLite IDE)... but I've no experience IRL with them.
[Ind. dev. - wxWidgets 3.0/3.1 under "Win 7 64-bit, TDM64-GCC" + "OS X 10.9, LLVM Clang"]
ONEEYEMAN
Part Of The Furniture
Part Of The Furniture
Posts: 7458
Joined: Sat Apr 16, 2005 7:22 am
Location: USA, Ukraine

Re: Recommendation for c++ gui builder?

Post by ONEEYEMAN »

Hi,
The best possible way is to download all that you want, try them and select one that best suite you needs.
Remember - its not a community that will develop your software.

Thank you.
buttonsrtoys
Experienced Solver
Experienced Solver
Posts: 58
Joined: Mon Jul 03, 2017 12:03 am

Re: Recommendation for c++ gui builder?

Post by buttonsrtoys »

eranon, thanks for the thoughts. I since found http://wiki.codeblocks.org/index.php?ti ... h_features that lists the features of the various gui editors, including wxSmith and the others you mentioned. wxSmith wins hands down as being the most feature rich. Any idea why its no longer being actively developed?
User avatar
eranon
Can't get richer than this
Can't get richer than this
Posts: 867
Joined: Sun May 13, 2012 11:42 pm
Location: France
Contact:

Re: Recommendation for c++ gui builder?

Post by eranon »

I do not want to say anything stupid, but I think that the original author is out of the game (don't know why). Because wxSmith is a major Code::Blocks plugin, the Codeblocks team does the maintenance now... But you'll surely get a better answer from the Codeblocks forum where the team lives...
[Ind. dev. - wxWidgets 3.0/3.1 under "Win 7 64-bit, TDM64-GCC" + "OS X 10.9, LLVM Clang"]
macsinus
Earned a small fee
Earned a small fee
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2016 12:36 pm
Location: Leipzig, Germany

Re: Recommendation for c++ gui builder?

Post by macsinus »

I use wxFormBuilder and am very happy with it. There are some components that it doesn't support, and I'm always careful to save before moving or deleting components around in the tree view (I've known it to crash occasionally), but otherwise I find it super - and it's free!
In particular, in comparison with Windows Forms programs which I have to support, it's so refreshing to have the generated code cleanly separated out in an ancestor class of the frame. Makes version control much easier!
wxWidgets 3.1.0
Boost 1.65
VS 2017
Win 7
ONEEYEMAN
Part Of The Furniture
Part Of The Furniture
Posts: 7458
Joined: Sat Apr 16, 2005 7:22 am
Location: USA, Ukraine

Re: Recommendation for c++ gui builder?

Post by ONEEYEMAN »

Hi,
I use{d} wxGlade, but now I'm more or less can write simple layout by hand.

Thank you.

P.S.: I don't want to be kicked out for starting a flame war...
User avatar
eranon
Can't get richer than this
Can't get richer than this
Posts: 867
Joined: Sun May 13, 2012 11:42 pm
Location: France
Contact:

Re: Recommendation for c++ gui builder?

Post by eranon »

ONEEYEMAN wrote:P.S.: I don't want to be kicked out for starting a flame war...
Too late :mrgreen:

PS: I often go by hand too (as you said: when the layout is relatively simple)... So, maybe, the dream GUI-builder would be a two ways one: allowing builder to code AND code to builder (ie. it would be able to take any existing GUI code without modfying it and we would be allowed to modify auto-generated code as well -- the builder being able to reflect the change we made in source code). Peace!
[Ind. dev. - wxWidgets 3.0/3.1 under "Win 7 64-bit, TDM64-GCC" + "OS X 10.9, LLVM Clang"]
User avatar
marcelinux
Knows some wx things
Knows some wx things
Posts: 40
Joined: Thu Nov 07, 2013 9:59 pm
Location: Madrid, Spain

Re: Recommendation for c++ gui builder?

Post by marcelinux »

CodeLite + wxCrafter
I just need learn a little bit more. Thank you for your help.
User avatar
shawnhcorey
Knows some wx things
Knows some wx things
Posts: 41
Joined: Mon Nov 19, 2012 3:29 pm
Location: The Great White North

Re: Recommendation for c++ gui builder?

Post by shawnhcorey »

ONEEYEMAN wrote:Hi,
I use{d} wxGlade, but now I'm more or less can write simple layout by hand.

Thank you.

P.S.: I don't want to be kicked out for starting a flame war...
eranon wrote:
ONEEYEMAN wrote:P.S.: I don't want to be kicked out for starting a flame war...
Too late :mrgreen:

PS: I often go by hand too (as you said: when the layout is relatively simple)... So, maybe, the dream GUI-builder would be a two ways one: allowing builder to code AND code to builder (ie. it would be able to take any existing GUI code without modfying it and we would be allowed to modify auto-generated code as well -- the builder being able to reflect the change we made in source code). Peace!
I have always used graph paper to do my initial layouts. Simple, easy-to-use, rarely crashes. ;)
WARNING: Highly caffeinated ☕. Approach with caution 🚧.
coderrc
Earned some good credits
Earned some good credits
Posts: 141
Joined: Tue Nov 01, 2016 2:46 pm

Re: Recommendation for c++ gui builder?

Post by coderrc »

shawnhcorey wrote: I have always used graph paper to do my initial layouts. Simple, easy-to-use, rarely crashes. ;)
+1 for graph paper, even though I prefer engineering paper to graph paper. Either way, Its super handy to be able to just sketch out what you want and send that up the chain for design approval rather than having to actually wrestle the pixels into place with a gui tool/code.

as far as wxwidgets gui designers go, I like dialogblocks, but that may just be because it can automatically convert MFC gui s.
Post Reply