Hey all,
i am looking for a GUI that doenst look as the nativ windows style. Here is an example what i mean: http://www.antisphere.com/Wiki/tools:anttweakbar
I use this but i need more like that.
Maybe someone has some interessting liks for me. That would be great =)
The OP specifically stated he didn't want the standard Win GUI -- and he doesn't want to write his own GUI -- which leads us to his actual request: links to GUI libraries. Telling him he doesn't need a library when he asks for a library is rather blatantly contrary.
Well, anttweakbar is a little different from a normal GUI library. In order to use it, you would need DirectX / OpenGL and have inside of a OpenGL rendering screen / DirectX rendering screen. Do you want something like this or do you want something that uses Windows native window system?
My Opinion: For each OS, you have different window systems. It's usually good to call and use those native windows (which most GUI libraries do for you) instead of using the OpenGL based GUI rendering engine, especially for the most basic of tasks. But it entirely depends on what you want. You can change the appearance and look of the Windows native window quite a bit using GUI Libraries if you really wanna know.
@george135: It's probably isn't the best to use a the Windows API directly. I've been taught to use cross-platform libraries such as wxWidgets and GTK+ and have them call the functions for me. This makes it incredibly easy to improve portability and make your app that much more popular.
QT can also be used for that.. its cross platform, can be used for quick development and can give very good looks...
one example will be vlc media player..i think picasa too..
Qt has liscense issues with commercial software. That's why I don't recommend it originally. It costs a lot of money for a commercial. I think they allow personal and free software with Qt though, I'm not really sure of the extent of Qt.
computerquip,
You may want to check the licensing for 4.5, I think there is now a free license for using Qt as a separate library that allows the main app to stay proprietary.
I make GUI like Office or Visual Studio interfaces with Win32 api since 1995.
If you can program, you never use external GUI written by others and which are black boxes.
You make your own classes and you know what you do.
95% of my customers in Europe don't use QT or other...
Win32 api is not cross platform and it is in C
Other GUI libraries as Qt or wxWidgets are not 'black boxes' as are widely used for non Windows desktop environments
Tobias, by far the best GUI library that doesn't look native is FLTK.It's very fast, not bloated, and cross platform.It's also easy to use.And the programs look the same on any operating system for which FLTK is available.
QT is way bloated.170 MB???For a library???
But Tobias, if you want a library whit a lot of feauters, wich QT is, but less bloated, and whit a more permissive license, than the best choice is WxWidgets.But that looks native.And still is big.
Both WxWidgets and FLTK allow to make proprietary software even if you static link.
(Note that this was formerly called the Win32 API. The name Windows API more accurately reflects its roots in 16-bit Windows and its support on 64-bit Windows.)
You usually never make your own classes for a GUI. That's bad advice since not everyone who joins your project has to relearn yet another GUI library. GTK+ and other classes are popular in commercial software because it's portable, free, and mature.
Why would you possibly remake what has been maturing for years?
Anyways, @ andrei c: There is no *best* GUI kit currently. They all have major ups and downs. FLTK isn't the *best* but a valuable choice in the quest for the right GUI Library for the task.
Yup, any GUI library allow to derive your own classes and theme them and always use that class for all platforms.I was just saying that by default WxWidgets has native look and FLTK the same look by default.But that's just the default. :)
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