Language for developing GUIs.

[dds14u]

I'm kind of interested in developing GUIs just for the heck of it. What do most people use to develop the typical window applications that we all use? Is it C++/Java?

Kind of interested in web design too...

 

[Markbnj]

Is it C++/Java

Big differences across that slash .

The number of people developing Windows GUI front-ends or server-side web extensions in C++ are shrinking rapidly. For Windows work it's .Net all the way down the stack now, until you get to the driver layer.

You could use C#/Winforms, but since you are just starting out I would suggest C# + WPF (.Net 3.x + Avalon) + Expression Blend + Visual Studio 2008 Express Edition for C#. You'll have more fun than you can stand.

Web design I can't help much with.

 

[dds14u]

Wow you answered my next question...which would have been "what about using Visual Studio 2008" (I think I can get the flow blown version from my college website).

Haven't heard of Avalon or Expression Blend... are they all available through VS 2008?

 

[Modelworks]

You might consider looking at the linux side of things.
There is much more information out there for developing gui on the various linux OS.
The code also is usually much more platform agnostic.

.net will lock you into windows only.

 

[degibson]

Originally posted by: Modelworks
You might consider looking at the linux side of things.
There is much more information out there for developing gui on the various linux OS.
The code also is usually much more platform agnostic.

.net will lock you into windows only.

Also, .NET occasionally calls SellYourFirstbornTo( Global.Evil() );

 

[Drakkon]

Flash/Flex/Air - The abilities of what you can do with Flash have come a LONG way. With Air you now have the ability to do all sorts of system stuff and create GUI based apps. Air you can develop cheap HTML pages and make them into full fledged GUI apps using Javascript. Flex gives you great power to build a fairly simple app that can be web driven as well. You develop in ECMAScript for AS3 whcih is practically a Java variant. And you get the portability to both PC and Mac and Linux (for Air coming soon).

Edit: Also helps you achieve your web design goals as well

 

[brikis98]

Well, to be perfectly honest, most "user interface" design these days is focused on websites. Therefore, you should probably consider learning xhtml, css, javascript and maybe playing around with the various server side languages attached to them - asp.net, servlets, struts, etc.

 

[Markbnj]

There is much more information out there for developing gui on the various linux OS.

Please. I love Linux (Debian guy, here), but this statement is out there. Microsoft invented developer outreach, and there is more comprehensive information available about programming every aspect of their platforms than there is for any other competing platform, without exception.

.net will lock you into windows only.

Yes, but he did ask about Windows apps, and there is Mono for some specific uses of .Net on Linux.

And Linux totally lacks the SellYourFirstbornTo( Evil evilBuyer ) api. That pretty much rules it out for me.

Hey, maybe with a little luck we can turn this into the third or fourth "Which language should I use" thread in the last two weeks .

 

[tfinch2]

GTK+ and Python

 

[degibson]

Originally posted by: Markbnj
And Linux totally lacks the SellYourFirstbornTo( Evil evilBuyer ) api. That pretty much rules it out for me.

Maybe, but you can still do it with the old System V API.

 

[dds14u]

Alright so I got VS 2008. C++ or C#... it's hard to break away from the C++ I am so familiar with.

And I can't convert an integer to a string with C# damnit.

 

[EvilManagedCare]

Originally posted by: dds14u
Alright so I got VS 2008. C++ or C#... it's hard to break away from the C++ I am so familiar with.

And I can't convert an integer to a string with C# damnit.

Sure you can:

Here's a method for converting an integer to a string straight from the horse's mouth

 

[MGMorden]

Getting into thread late, but my suggestion: C++ with wxWidgets. I'm just learning this myself (traditionally when I did GUI programs I'd use Borland C++ Builder), but the system is incredible. It will compile the GUI to act natively as a GTK, Windows, or Mac application just from one codebase. As someone who has recently become quite heavily interested in cross-platform development, I'm really enjoying playing around with it.