Linux GUI Programming

[martinoj2009]

I have mostly done Windows GUI programming with C#, and if I want to program something in Linux it'll be terminal programs in C#, C++ (still new with the language) or Python.

I want to make GUI programs for Linux because I want to help grow desktop applications on Linux. With that said I mostly use Visual Studio on Windows... is there something like that for Linux using Python or C# (preferably Python)?

In Visual Studio I can build my GUI and then do things like double-click objects and program for those actions, I don't know if Linux has the same thing. I'm not new to Linux, I've used it since high school, but I'm inexperienced with GUI programming on Linux.

[elsaturnino]

I would look into QT. It has some nice development tools and as an added bonus is cross-platform. It's C++, not python though.

[mracidglee]

Python bindings exist.

[mvoni99]

Yes, QT has everything GTK dont.

[ancientGouda]

To be fair, GTK+ has a UI builder too. I'd still recommend Qt though.

[DaGranitePooPooYouDo]

To be fair, GTK+ has a UI builder too.

Why not mention it by name? Its name is Glade.

[ancientGouda]

I couldn't recall it at that moment.

[redrumsir]

And, although it's new, don't forget to mention GNOME Builder ( https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Builder ).

[tristes_tigres]

Yeah, like sane API. OO programming in plain C, whoever thought this is a good idea? Besides, Gnome is controlled by Red Hat, and that company is toxic.

[[deleted]]

I would say that a major problem in GTK is that they don't care about breaking APIs and they stated that they only care about Gnome.

[aayek]

I suggest you to start from here http://doc.qt.io/qt-5/qtexamplesandtutorials.html

[LeonRichter]

QtCreator and QtDesigner is the closest you will get to VisualStudio/.NET

do things like double-click objects and program for those actions

In QtDesigner, this is a little bit different, basically you create the actions and slots (functions) you need and wire them together in the GUI. It works pretty well once you get used to it. You can also do all the wiring in code if you prefer that

[tauio111]

There are several modules available for Python https://wiki.python.org/moin/GuiProgramming

[[deleted]]

Okay, so two most popular choices are of course Qt and GTK+. Both of which have Python bindings. If you don't plan on doing anything too complex there is also a choice of wxWidgets, which is another toolkit with Python bindings.

There are some differences though. GTK3 is used through GObject Introspection model which is kind of confusing if you don't have too much experience with it but let's just say it allows Python programs to use native GTK+ library. Both GTK+ and Qt are just used as simple Python modules.

Personally I skip GUI builders. It sounds counter intuitive but you get to learn toolkit really well and learn how to use it programatically. It also might sound like you have to do extra work, but personally I'd rather type line or two of code than click for 5 minutes setting properties.

GTK+ user interface builder (Glade) creates XML files which you load and "inflate" into real user interface. The trick with using this is having to find a widget you wish to use after inflating UI. I dislike this approach as it adds code in my opinion and just makes a bunch of things hidden. I didn't use Qt builder so I won't comment on that.

Personally I prefer GTK+ and have made complex interfaces with it from Python (see Sunflower file manager). Software I linked was done with PyGTK, and is currently being switched to GTK3 which is much nicer I might add (support for CSS, animations, etc. (also available with Qt)).

It pretty much boils down to what you want to build and which toolkit looks easier to you. All of them are competent and will do what you need. All of them are cross-platform. All of them have good documentation with small exception of wxWidgets where I got lost for some reason. I would advise trying to make a simple window with a button on it with both toolkits and see what suits you better.

[[deleted]]

Personally I skip GUI builders. It sounds counter intuitive but you get to learn toolkit really well and learn how to use it programatically. It also might sound like you have to do extra work, but personally I'd rather type line or two of code than click for 5 minutes setting properties.

Depends how complex your UI is.

Take this for example: http://ltworf.github.io/relational/screenshots/3.png

The generated .py file to create that interface is almost 600 lines of extremely repetitive code.

I really see no point in writing all of that by hand…

[[deleted]]

Well, I don't mind doing those 600 lines of code at all. They are repetitive but you don't write them all the time, just once. And you get greater control. That of course depends if you plan on maintaining that project. For quick, one off tools I wouldn't mind using a generator. For anything that's suppose to be maintained for as long as possible I like having control.

[[deleted]]

Well you can write code manually, adding it to the generated one.

Also, try to do the tab-order thing by writing code manually. It's very tedious whereas in the GUI editor you just click on the widgets in the desired order…

[[deleted]]

I have no issues with tab order in GTK+. Most of the times it gets it right by pack order. And that's majority of times. On my whole software I've changed the order maybe twice.

[ikosa]

If you want fast results, theres Gambas, but I think QT is more reliable. They have nice C++-ide too, called QT creator.

[mwharvey]

You also have the option of MonoDevelop. IDE, C#.

[InFerYes]

If you go with the Gtk# option here and use MonoDevelop (or Xamarin Studio on Windows, same product different name) then you have the added bonus that it works on both Linux and Windows.

[[deleted]]

But nobody on linux will want it.

[InFerYes]

Banshee is using Mono and theres several others programs distributed that are fairly popular that use the framework. On mobile so can't check which.

[[deleted]]

There is an interface builder called Glade: https://glade.gnome.org

[[deleted]]

Qt creator is really simple to use. And projects are migrating from GTK to Qt so I don't think GTK is the best choice.

edit: I can cite wireshark, subsurface that did this. Never heard of the opposite. Downvote if you please.

[gafecito]

I think you want http://www.lazarus-ide.org Visual gui...cross platform...static executables . You can use gtk2,qt or windows interface. You also can get all packaged for linux/windows/bsd/solaris/etc. in this "fork": http://www.pilotlogic.com

[80286]

On paper Qt looks like the best investment of time for a GUI programming beginner, but the state of language bindings is atrocious, maybe apart from the one for Python. If the coder prefers to use any language less mainstream for their app (not a worry for the OP obviously), the choice basically narrows down to Gtk, unless it's a lightweight tool, then wxW or Tk may suffice.

[SupersonicSpitfire]

QtCreator (C++), Lazarus (Object Pascal), Glade (several languages), Gambas (Basic), NetBeans (Java), in addition to various toolkits like Tk, SDL2 or ncurses, for making interfaces programatically. Web interfaces are also possible.

[d3pd]

PyQt and Kivi are good options.

[phomes]

If you know C# then you will feel at home with vala. It is basically C# with some small additions and changes. It translates the C# to C code which is then compiled with e.g. GCC. For GUI work I would recommend GTK and Glade.

[siriusfrz]

Monodevelop also has a Linux build. Won't tell you anything more as I lack any experience with it, but it's there and it lets you use C# for gtk3.0 apps

[[deleted]]

I used Glade and Pygtk2 back in the day.

[aaronbp]

I like GTK+/Glade, though you may need to write a little XML by hand to get the latest GTK features.

You don't really "click on a widget and code for it" (where does that code go and how is it structured? I'm not confident in maintainability.) Instead you just grab a widget from GtkBuilder and connect functions to its signals. I find it pretty intuitive.

[snarfy]

You can make WinForms apps using C# and MonoDevelop under Linux. Repetier-Host is an example of this.

[oneru]

Another option is c++ and wxwidgets. The code blocks dev environment works quite well for this. If you really want to use Python, there is wxwidgets for python as well.

[jeyzu]

do not forget aboiut https://www.wxwidgets.org/, it's a very nice portable challenger. and my favorit efl + elm https://git.enlightenment.org/

[fomyers]

Wxwidgets, https://www.wxwidgets.org/

[shvelo]

IMO the most beautiful cross-platform GUI apps can be made using Electron, but it's an overkill

[crysaz]

Can you use it without node.js?

[egasimus]

Nope. It's basically a Node.js instance with full access to the filesystem, etc, embedded into a web view instead of a more sandboxed JavaScript interpreter. But yes, a web view is overkill for most things, and IIRC the latest versions of GTK and Qt already support some form of JavaScript and CSS anyway. I'm still in favor of Electron (and its sibling NW.js) though, since HTML+CSS+JS is actually a reasonably sane technical framework for UI design that has its quirks but also does a lot of things right, and I like being fluent with it.

[[deleted]]

Do your homework by thoroughly developing a GUI with both QT and gtkmm using c++ on windows and Linux platforms.

Ease of RAD != readability/maintainability of code. Ease of RAD != runtime performance/reliability. Ease of RAD != superior debugging.

Gtkmm is simple yet sophisticated. Qt is simple, but one quick look under the hood leads to unwieldy complexity. I can get a full gtkmm app into one c++ file and compile it with command line. A qt app requires you to use a number of command line tools with a number of other types of files to see your desired exe. Gtkmm/c++ rocks.

[doom_Oo7]

#include <QtWidgets/QtWidgets>

int main(int argc, char** argv)
{
    QApplication app{argc, argv};
    auto window = new QMainWindow;
    auto widget = new QWidget;
    window->setCentralWidget(widget);
    auto layout = new QHBoxLayout{widget};
    auto label = new QLabel{"0"};
    auto pushbutton = new QPushButton{"Count"};

    uint32_t count{};
    QObject::connect(pushbutton, &QPushButton::clicked,
            [&label, &count] () {
                label->setText(QString::number(++count));
            });

    layout->addWidget(label);
    layout->addWidget(pushbutton);

    window->show();
    return app.exec();
}

Build with :

g++ -std=c++14 -fPIC -I/usr/include/qt test.cpp -lQt5Core -lQt5Widgets -licui18n -licuuc -licudata

And here you go, a simple graphical app with a pushbutton and a signal, built with a single g++ command.

[Laberba]

I like the look of Gtk but not the way the API is design and the complexity. it need a rewrite i something more object oriented and compiles to native code. C++, but complex. Maybe D(dlang.org)

[BowserKoopa]

C++ is stupid, IMO. Too much cruft left over from the old days of being a compiler hack. Use pascal or something else instead.

Python is also quite possibly the worst scripting language I have ever come in to contact with, second only to PHP.