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c++user-interfacewxwidgetsgui-designer

What is the preferred method for creating a wxWidget application: using a GUI tool or procedurally in code?

I use wxWidgets to create test tools at work. I have always created the GUI by creating the widgets in code. I haven't tried any of the tools available that help to do this. How do other users of wxWidgets typically create their interface? If you use a tool, which tool do you use? If you use a tool, what advantages and disadvantages do you think there are for using that tool?

Solution

  • I've used wxFormBuilder for two reasons:

    1. It's cross-platform and I needed something that would work on Linux.
    2. I'm new to wxWidgets and I didn't want to spend lots of time futzing about with building the GUI.

    I think it works quite well, and being familiar with similar GUI building tools (Borland C++ Builder, Jigloo for Java, Delphi) I found it easy to use.

    If you stick with the paradigm of using wxFormBuilder to generate base classes, and then you make a class that inherits to layer your application specific logic on top, absolutely not hand-editing the C++ code wxFormBuilder generates, then it works well and you can easily update and modify your GUIs in wxFormBuilder again (and again...).

    Advantages:

    • Can generate your base GUIs quite quickly, in a visual manner, without having to constantly look up the documentation.
    • Don't have to do as many code/compile/run cycles just to make sure your GUI is looking like what you expected.
    • The base class/derived class paradigm can make a reasonably clean separation of your GUI and business logic code.

    Potential Disadvantages

    • Disclaimer: I've only used wxWidgets to create very simple, straight-forward GUIs, so haven't really pushed the tool to any limits.
    • Potentially the base class/derived class paradigm could sometimes get in your way if you are doing something too sophisticated with your GUI (OTOH that could indicate that you may need to re-think your approach.)
    • I had a situation where I needed a menu item when compiled for one operating system, but not when compiled for another. There is no logic in wxFormBuilder to support this. I ended up taking the short-cut of always creating the menu item and then having my derived class make it invisible if it was the wrong OS (not ideal.)

    That's about it, I think.