

Ask HN: What do you recommend to build desktop apps? - mc

What's your favorite SDK (or framework or toolkit) for building desktop apps?<p>I've got few requirements:
  - Cross-platform (Can build and distribute Windows, Mac, &#38; Linux executables)<p><pre><code>  - Great documentation

  - Open source or commercial licensing
</code></pre>
I do Java and Ruby programming, so there a few that come to mind:<p><pre><code>  * Swing

  * SWT

  * HotCocoa
</code></pre>
I've also found:<p><pre><code>  * Qt

  * wxWidgets

</code></pre>
If you've used one of these SDKs, was it successful? Did you get the job done on time? What was the learning curve like?<p>Thanks
======
davyjones
Mine is Qt.

I am developing an admin client for PostgreSQL: pgXplorer
(github.com/davyjones/pgXplorer). I was coding primary on a Windows platform
and decided at some point that a Linux build would be useful as well. I was
surprised when the project compiled the first time I imported it into my Linux
environment, and that too without any tweaks. So yeah...more than surprised
actually.

But...there are some issues I am facing with window behaviour, mouse events,
etc. Still working on that.

~~~
thejteam
We use QT extensively at work. It is the best documented framework that I have
ever worked with. I am primarily a C programmer who dislikes GUIs, but the it
has made GUI development pretty painless for me. Their networking classes are
also good.

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kls
If I where doing a Desktop Java app, I think I would take the time to learn
JavaFX. While I don't think we will see widespread adoption, I do think most
people will favor it over swing. I did a simple app in it and I prefer it to
swing. Take my advise with a grain of salt though, I have not been deep in
desktop for a long time. It was a fluke that I had a Java desktop app
contract.

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blcArmadillo
I have done some GUI work with QT. I found their documentation to be very
good. All in all it was pretty easy to pickup.

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Shorel
wxWidgets is my choice. Native widgets in all platforms.

I also believe it is the preferred toolkit for game related development if
your game uses OpenGL and or DirectX.

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umenline
Qt!

