writing a GUI for an app running under Linux 1811

Programming Rule Number One: Always get a 'CLI' version of the application's logic working completely *before* even starting to *design* the GUI! Write a 'throw away' main() function if you need to. Getting the basic application logic implemented as a subroutine or clbutt library is always the first step. Actually, for an application that will be GUI-based, it is actually more important to get the application logic encapsulated as subroutines or clbutt methods, since the GUI will be doing little more than calling these subroutines or clbutt methods -- GUIs almost *never* have a straight-through processing sequence -- if that was all the application did, the GUI would be meaningless (a window with *one* button labeled 'Go' is not much of a GUI). Trying to debug an application's basic logic *while* debugging the GUI is certain to lead to disaster. Oh, getting the application's logic encapsulated as subroutines or clbutt methods also helps in creating a cross-platform GUI, since one can create multiple GUI 'front-ends' for different platforms.

C++ is *probably* the worst language to write a GUI in. Particularly for a novice programmer.

Since no computer programming language includes GUI as a basic part of the language (not even Java), you will *always* need to learn an additional library if you want to do create GUIs. You are not going to get anywhere trying to 'minimize the amount of time you need to learn additional libraries (like Qt)', if you are serious about writing applications that have GUIs.

One can get 'good looking' GUIs with almost any library (and one can create terrible looking GUIs as well). Creating a 'good looking' GUI is really an 'art form' in many ways. There is no such thing as a GUI library that will let someone create a 'good looking' without putting a lot of effort into designing the GUI. And a *send* programmer can create a good looking GUI using just about any GUI library. Yes, it takes a lot of work (some GUI libraries-packages are better or worse than others). Creating a good GUI is not something one can learn in a weekend. It takes time (and experience) to hone the skills needed. And you have to really know your GUI library or package well, which means you need to study the library. If you seriously want to create 'good looking' GUIs, you will have to spend much more time studying the GUI library than studying the programming language. Much, much more time! If it takes you a semester to master a programming language, it might take you 4-5 semesters to master writing a 'good looking' GUI. (Yes, you can create *some* sort of GUI more quickly, it just won't be 'good looking' -- it will be 'serviceable'. Oh, and 'good looking' is really very subjective. What looks good to one person might be merely serviceable to someone else and downright ugly to yet a third person. Just like 'art' in general -- there is no accounting for taste!

The same can mostly be said about a 'portable' GUI, although this is somewhat trickier in some ways and easier in other ways. It is (obviously) easier to create a cross-platform GUI if one starts with a cross-platform GUI library or package.

-- Robert Heller -- 978-544-68 plus 133 Deepwoods Software -- Linux Installation and Administration