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windowsuser-interfacedesktop-applicationportability

What inexpensive tools have you used to develop lightweight Windows GUI apps (that you would use again)

By lightweight apps, I mean the toolset can create a single executable file or set of files that can be copied into a folder and run as an EXE with no other installation process.

Of particular interest:

  • What's the programming language
  • what versions of Windows are supported
  • is there interactive debugging
  • are there GUI layout/design tools
  • other notable features and limitations
Solution

  • For quick prototyping, Autoit is a viable option (but it is a scripting language though).

    http://www.autoitscript.com/images/gui_eg1.png

    Combined with Scite as an Editor, and autoit to exe capability (AutoIt3.exe in Scite and Autoit3Wrapper.exe to actually produce exe), you have a full GUI development environment.

    AutohotKey is an alternative, but based on old AutoitV2.

    Still, you can execute AutohotKey scripts from Autoit ;)

    Run("c:\Program Files\Autohotkey\Autohotkey.exe c:\scripts\devicesset.ahk")

    While interactive debugging is not natively supported, they are (2008, but in 2014: was?) several debugging tools to facilitate the debug process. (from this ticket)

    http://www.autoitscript.com/forum/uploads/monthly_01_2008/post-3602-1199735240.png

    Update 2014: the "AutoEditDebugger" might not be supported:

    EDIT October 2009: NB This script has not been maintained since some time in 2008. Due to some problem with the editor it crashes in Vista.