Cross Platform Library

#1 There's always GTK...

#2 GTK actually looks kinda decent . . Almost what i'm looking for.

I'm needing a Tabbed Doc View support; I suppost I could use the tab controls with GTK and make my own Dov View?

#3 WxWidgets is getting old? It's constantly getting updated, not sure what site you're visiting, but you should look at wxwidgets.org. I use it every time I write a GUI application and I absolutely love it. If you're building up the GUI layout by hand via code then you should look at wxFormBuilder which makes it the most efficient way of building and managing GUIs for wxWidgets projects. :)

#4 I mean by the look and functions of it; WxWidgets still looks like a Windows 2000 Application. Some of the new MFC Stuff can look like the new office. Sure; its updated. Sure; it works. But MFC is looking better.

I'm looking for the Microsoft Expression studio look and feel.

#5 That requires you to either write your own or import others custom components of which there are many out there like at wxcode.sourceforge.net. Now if you're not seeing the current Windows XP / Vista theme applied to your application that is because you didn't create the manifest file for the executable file.

#6 No; i don't want the XP Look;

www.kudzuworld.com/blogs/Tech/Pics/Blend4b.png

images.digitalmedianet.com/2006/Week_20/obcp5u2y/story/thumb-art_david_fig3.jpg

#7 Yeah that will require having to do manual rendering of all components.

#8 Looking back; I guess the term "Old" doesn't apply to WxWidgets. Its just; I don't like the fact of how its stuck to one "look". I want something to set me apart; and although WxWidgets is a strong, and for the most part easy language. Its weak in spots that I need it to be strong. I do know about WxSkin, and such. However for this project; I need the components to be able to have the looks changed without re-writing the library.

I also need a strong, and powerful Tab Control.

#9 Isn't Qt another competitor in this market?

#10 Yeah, if you (OP) don't mind paying for a license (I believe it's about $1k) Qt is a great library.

Edit: That or releasing your stuff as GPL I guess.

#11

Quote:Looking back; I guess the term "Old" doesn't apply to WxWidgets. Its just; I don't like the fact of how its stuck to one "look"

Well, perhaps it's just me, but wx makes a big thing about using platform-native widgetry everywhere that platform-native widgetry is available. So the "look" that a well-written wxWidgets app has is the same one as every other well-written app on your system has - three cheers for actually having a coherent interface that matches your platform's HIG.

Of course, If you don't want a coherent interface that matches your platform's HIG [microsoft are shamefully bad at this. No two of their flagship apps look or feel the same, which is something that's pretty user-hostile for people trying to learn them], then you could always just render your own widgets as someone else mentioned.

Overall, I wish that bad UI design would just up and die already. HIGs, Common widgets and common dialogs are there to provide a consistent look and feel on a system, and are a good thing.

I use wx for most of my GUI apps and I've been very happy with it.

Quote:Some of the new MFC Stuff can look like the new office.

Actually the ribbon has some unusual licensing restrictions on it. Personally I wouldn't touch that with a forty foot barge pole, and I'd suggest no-one else does either.

Gary (-;

#12 Funny you mention about bad GUI design by Microsoft. Back in 1998 or so Microsoft released a user interface design guidelines on what all Windows application developers should use when designing their GUIs and it was basically the same uniform layout and what not you'd see in Windows 95/98/2k, etc... Well when Windows XP came along and Windows Media Player (around version 8 I believe) is when they started throwing the guidelines right out the Window. Such as the file menus are gone by default which confuses the hell out of new users as to what to do when they first run WMP. Internet Explorer 7 does the same thing and it just way too different and the big no no part is that they did not give you the option to revert back to the classic layout like you would expect it to, but it appears that only applies to the operating system instead.

Ever since then they have just completely gone user hostile on interfaces and keep changing them with each software major release. Whoever is making decisions on interface design over there needs to be shot, some things are just absolutely unbelievable crap like Office 2007, yuck!

#13

Quote:Well when Windows XP came along and Windows Media Player (around version 8 I believe) is when they started throwing the guidelines right out the Window.

Yep, that's pretty explicitly one of the things I was referring to.

To be fair, I'm reserving judgement on the ribbon until I've spent some time actually trying to use it; MS appear to be trying to come up with better ways to get things done rather than just molest UIs for sport.

I'd also like to take this moment to say that whoever decided to rename most of the control panels that I actually use should be shot. I got my first vista machine a week or so ago, and it took me a good couple days to get used to looking for "Programs and somethingorother" rather than "Add/Remove Programs". Best thing about vista so far is that it has the ability to hot-resize its own boot partition so I can install Linux without worrying about smoking my windows install. :-)

Gary (-;

#14 The ribbon isn't new in any way - I've seen things like that many years ago. It's really just a list tree node with a slightly different animation.

There is a wxWidgets resource somewhere which lets you add skinning to a Windows app. It is actually a generic skinning library, so you just define what images to use with what named widget, and off you go. Plus hours of design work :)