List of widget toolkits

Last updated

This article provides a list of widget toolkits (also known as GUI frameworks), used to construct the graphical user interface (GUI) of programs, organized by their relationships with various operating systems.

Contents

Low-level widget toolkits

Integrated in the operating system

As a separate layer on top of the operating system

High-level widget toolkits

Widget toolkit comparison table
Toolkit nameWindowsmacOSUnix-likeProgramming languageLicense
AWT cross-platform Java
CEGUI YesYesYes C++ MIT
Cocoa PartialYesNo Objective-C Proprietary
Elementary YesYesYes C LGPL, BSD
FLTK YesYesYes C++ LGPL
Fox toolkit YesNoYes C++ LGPL
Fyne cross-platform Go BSD
GNUstep YesYesYes Objective-C LGPL
GTK YesYesYes C LGPL
Kivy cross-platform Python MIT
LCL YesYesYes Object Pascal (Free Pascal) LGPL
IUP YesNoYes C MIT
Juce cross-platform C++ GPL, proprietary
LessTif NoNoYes C LGPL
Motif NoNoYes C LGPL
MFC YesNoNo C++ Proprietary
Nana C++YesNoYes C++ Boost license
OWL (superseded by VCL)YesNoNo C++ (Borland C++)Proprietary
Pivot (WTK) cross-platform Java Apache License
Qt cross-platform C++ LGPL, proprietary
Rogue Wave ViewsYesNoYes C++ proprietary
Shoes (GUI toolkit) cross-platform Ruby MIT
Swing cross-platform Java
Tk YesYesYes C BSD
TnFOX YesYesYes C++ LGPL
U++ cross-platform C++ BSD
VCL (supersedes OWL)YesNoNo Object Pascal (Delphi)Proprietary
WTL YesNoNo C++ Microsoft Public License
wxWidgets cross-platform C++ WxWindows license

OS dependent

On Amiga

  • BOOPSI (Basic Object Oriented Programming System for Intuition) was introduced with OS 2.0 and enhanced Intuition with a system of classes in which every class represents a single widget or describes an interface event. This led to an evolution in which third-party developers each realised their own personal systems of classes.
  • MUI: object-oriented GUI toolkit and the official toolkit for MorphOS.
  • ReAction: object-oriented GUI toolkit and the official toolkit for AmigaOS.
  • Zune (GUI toolkit) is an open source clone of MUI and the official toolkit for AROS.

On macOS

On Microsoft Windows

On Unix, under the X Window System

Note that the X Window System was originally primarily for Unix-like operating systems, but it now runs on Microsoft Windows as well using, for example, Cygwin, so some or all of these toolkits can also be used under Windows.

Cross-platform

Based on C (including bindings to other languages)

Based on C++ (including bindings to other languages)

Based on Python

Based on Flash

  • Adobe Flash allows creating widgets running in most web browsers and in several mobile phones.
  • Adobe Flex provides high-level widgets for building web user interfaces. Flash widgets can be used in Flex.
  • Flash and Flex widgets will run without a web browser in the Adobe AIR runtime environment.

Based on Go

  • Fyne, open source (BSD) is inspired by the principles of Material Design to create applications that look and behave consistently across Windows, macOS, Linux, BSD, Android and iOS.

Based on XML

Based on JavaScript

General

RIAs

Full-stack framework

Resource-based

No longer developed

  • YUI (Yahoo! User Interface Library)

Based on SVG

  • Raphaël is a JavaScript toolkit for SVG interfaces and animations

Based on C#

  • Gtk#, C# wrappers around the underlying GTK and GNOME libraries, written in C and available on Linux, MacOS and Windows.
  • QtSharp, C# wrappers around the Qt widget toolkit, which is itself based-on the C++ language.
  • Windows Forms. There is an original Microsoft's implementation that is a wrapper around the Windows API and runs on windows, and Mono's alternative implementation that is cross platform.

Based on Java

  • The Abstract Window Toolkit (AWT) is Sun Microsystems' original widget toolkit for Java applications. It typically uses another toolkit on each platform on which it runs.
  • Swing is a richer widget toolkit supported since J2SE 1.2 as a replacement for AWT widgets. Swing is a lightweight toolkit, meaning it does not rely on native widgets.
  • Apache Pivot is an open-source platform for building rich web applications in Java or any JVM-compatible language, and relies on the WTK widget toolkit.
  • JavaFX and FXML.
  • The Standard Widget Toolkit (SWT) is a native widget toolkit for Java that was developed as part of the Eclipse project. SWT uses a standard toolkit for the running platform (such as the Windows API, macOS Cocoa, or GTK) underneath.
  • Codename One originally designed as a cross platform mobile toolkit it later expanded to support desktop applications both through JavaSE and via a JavaScript pipeline through browsers
  • java-gnome provides bindings to the GTK toolkit and other libraries of the GNOME desktop environment
  • Qt Jambi, the official Java binding to Qt from Trolltech. The commercial support and development has stopped [5]

Based on Object Pascal

  • FireMonkey or FMX is a cross-platform widget and graphics library distributed with Delphi and C++Builder since version XE2 in 2011. It has bindings for C++ through C++Builder, and supports Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and most recently Linux. FireMonkey supports platform-native widgets, such as a native edit control, and custom widgets that are styled to look native on a target operating system. Its graphics are GPU-accelerated and it supports styling, and mixing its own implementation controls with native system controls, which lets apps use native behaviour where it's important (for example, for IME text input.)
  • IP Pascal uses a graphics library built on top of standard language constructs. Also unusual for being a procedural toolkit that is cross-platform (no callbacks or other tricks), and is completely upward compatible with standard serial input and output paradigms. Completely standard programs with serial output can be run and extended with graphical constructs.
  • Lazarus LCL (for Pascal, Object Pascal and Delphi via Free Pascal compiler), a class library wrapping GTK+ 1.2–2.x, and the Windows API (Carbon, Windows CE and Qt4 support are all in development).
  • fpGUI is created with the Free Pascal compiler. It doesn't rely on any large 3rdParty libraries and currently runs on Linux, Windows, Windows CE, and Mac (via X11). A Carbon (macOS) port is underway.
  • CLX (Component Library for Cross-platform) was used with Borland's (now Embarcadero's) Delphi, C++ Builder, and Kylix, for producing cross-platform applications between Windows and Linux. It was based on Qt, wrapped in such a way that its programming interface was similar to that of the VCL toolkit. It is no longer maintained and distributed, and has been replaced with FireMonkey, a newer toolkit also supporting more platforms, since 2011.

Based on Objective-C

Based on Dart

Based on Swift

Based on Ruby

Not yet categorised

Comparison of widget toolkits

ToolkitInitial releaseLatest releaseMain languageBindingsToolsLicenseProsConsBack-end
ATL, WTL 2004C++Visual Studionot portable
AWT 1995Javaportable
CEGUI 20040.8.7 (April 28, 2016;9 years ago (2016-04-28)) [±] [6] C++ Python, [7] Lua (using tolua++) [8] CEED [9] MIT License Free license, fast, cross-platform, portable, free GUI editing tool
Clutter 2006CPerl, Python, C#, C++, Vala, RubyLGPL GTK and WebKit embedding
CLX C++
Elementary 2007 (EFL: 2001)2016CJavaScript, Python, Vala, C++editje, edje LGPL Portable, stable, fast, finger-friendly
FLTK 19982019C++Python (pyFLTK), Perl (FLTK.pm), Ruby (Ruby/FLTK), Tcl (Tcl Fltk), Guile (guile-fltk), Eiffel (IFLTK), C (cfltk), Rust (FLTK-rs)FLUID (Fast Light UI Designer) LGPL (with an exception that allows static linking)fast, small enough to static linklimited widget selection
Flutter 2017DartPortable, cross platform, free license, rich widget set
FOX 1997C++Ruby (FXRuby), Python (FXPy), Eiffel (EiffelFox)consistent across platformsnon-native look and feel
Fyne 20182020 (1.3.2)Go BSD consistent across platforms, no runtime dependencyrequires OpenGL
GLUI C++
GNUstep 19942017Objective-CJava, Ruby, Scheme Gorm (computing) GPL for the apps, LGPL for the libsPortable, free licenseNative on macOS (with Cocoa) X11, Win32, Wayland
GTK 19974.6.0 [10] (December 30, 2021;3 years ago (2021-12-30)) [±] CC++ (gtkmm), Perl (Gtk2-perl), Ruby (ruby-gtk2), Python (PyGTK), Haskell (Gtk2Hs), Java (java-gnome) (not available for Microsoft Windows), C# (Gtk#), PHP (PHP-GTK), Ada (GTKAda), D (gtkD), FreeBasic (GladeToBac), Go (go-gtk), OCaml (lablgtk), JavaScript (Gjs, Seed (programming)), Fortran (gtk-fortran), Lua (lua-lgi), R (RGtk2) and others via GTK-server Glade, GNOME Builder LGPL Portable, free licensePartly native only. [11] [12]
IUP 19922019 [13] CLua (IupLua) [14] LEDC: a compiler for LED MIT Portable, lightweight, use the native API, native look&feel, free licenceNon‑Unicode (only plain ASCII) [15]
Juce 2004C++Jucer GPL, commercialCross-platform, with additional audio plug-in wrapping tools (VST, RTAS, AAX etc.)The free version has a splash screen.
MFC, WinAPI 1992C++Visual Studionot portable (but Wine implements it for X Window)
Motif, Lesstif 1980sCBX Pro
Nana C++20071.7.4 (16 May 2020;5 years ago (2020-05-16)) [±] [16] C++VisualStudio, Dev-C++, Code::Blocks, GCCportable, lightweight, modern C++ style
Qt 19916.5 LTS [17] (3 April 2023;2 years ago (2023-04-03)) [±] C++Ruby (QtRuby), Python (PyQt, PySide, PythonQt), Ada (QtAda), c# (Qyoto), Java (Qt Jambi), Pascal (FreePascal Qt4), Perl (Perl Qt4), PHP(PHP-Qt), Haskell (Qt Haskell), Lua (lqt, QtLua), Dao (DaoQt), Tcl (qtcl), Common Lisp (CommonQt), D (QtD), Harbour (hbqt)Qt Designer, Qt Creator GPL, LGPL. [18] Portable, rich widget set, GUI builder, free license, stable API Partially native only. [19] [20] [21]
Rogue Wave Views19932014 (5.8)C++ivfstudioproprietaryportable (Windows, Unix-like), good supportcommercial
Shoes (GUI toolkit) 20072010 Ruby MIT license/Open sourceSimplicity, ease of use
Swing 1996JavaEclipse, NetBeans GPL for OpenJDK Portable (Java), advanced widgets, GUI builders
JavaFX 20082022JavaNetBeans, Scene Builder GPL
SWT JavaD (DWT)Eclipseportable
Tk 19912015C, TclRuby (RubyTk), Python (Tkinter), Perl (Perl/Tk), Ada (TASH), Common Lisp (LTk), Erlang (etk ), ... | BSD very portable, many language bindings
U++ 20042022C++theIDE BSD portable, NTL, free licenseUnderdeveloped on android
VCFC++ BSD free license
VCL Delphi
Windows Forms CLI languagesCLI languagesExpression, Visual Studioportability issues, no MVC
WPF, XAML, Silverlight 2007CLI languagesCLI languagesExpression, Visual StudioPortability issues
wxWidgets 19923.2.6 (9 September 2024;10 months ago (2024-09-09)

[22] ) [±]

C++C++ (native), Ruby (wxRuby), Python (wxPython), Perl (wxPerl), Java (wxJava, jwx!), Lua (wxLua), Tcl(wxTCL), JavaScript (GLUEscript), Smalltalk (wxSqueak), Erlang (wxErlang), Haskell (wxHaskell), C (wxC), D (wxD), .NET framework (wxNet), Common Lisp (wxCL), Basic (wxBasic), BlitzMax (wxMax), Euphoria (wxEuphoria), Ada (wxAda), Pike (wxPike)VisualWx, Boa Constructor, PythonCard, Spe, XRCed, wxGlade, wxFormBuilder, DialogBlocks ($), wxDesigner ($) wxWindows License Portable, rich widget set, free licence, semantic similarities to MFC make migration easy.
Xaw, Athena 19831.0.13 [23] C MIT X11
XUL XML, JavaScriptportable
XVT 19892010C and C++Design for C and architect for C++ProprietaryCross-platform, rich widget set, C and C++ GUI builders, very stable
ToolkitInitial releaseLatest releaseMain languageBindingsToolsLicenseProsConsBack-end

See also

References

  1. Microsoft: MS Windows NT Kernel-mode User
  2. Techworld: Microsoft to move graphics outside OS kernel
  3. Pacheco, Teixera; Xavier, Steve (2001). Borland Delphi 6 Developer's Guide. Sams Publishing. p. 382. ISBN   0-672-32115-7.
  4. This version provides the core API of the .NET Framework 2.0, but its implementation of this API is still incomplete.
  5. Qt Software to discontinue Qt Jambi after 4.5 release Archived 26 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  6. https://github.com/cegui/cegui/releases/tag/v0-8-7
  7. "PyCEGUI - CEGUI Wiki - Crazy Eddie's GUI System (Open Source)".
  8. "Extending your Lua Interface - CEGUI Wiki - Crazy Eddie's GUI System (Open Source)".
  9. "CEED - CEGUI Wiki - Crazy Eddie's GUI System (Open Source)".
  10. https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gtk/-/tags/4.6.0
  11. Migrating to client-side windows Archived 27 April 2011 at the Wayback Machine : "GDK looks for the GDK_NATIVE_WINDOWS environment variable and makes all windows native if it is set. It also tries to be more compatible with the way prior versions worked in some other ways."
  12. Coding Horror: Non-Native UI Sucks: "[…] has a cross-platform UI based on GTK, which produces predictably bland, least-common-denominator results:"
  13. "IUP - Browse /3.28 at SourceForge.net".
  14. "IUP - Portable User Interface".
  15. Comparing IUP with Other Interface Toolkits: "[…] it does not have support for Unicode characters."
  16. "Nana C++ Library - a modern C++ GUI library".
  17. "Qt 6.5 Release". www.qt.io. The Qt Company. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  18. Nyström, Sebastian (14 January 2009). "Nokia to license Qt under LGPL". Archived from the original on 11 November 2013.
  19. WxWidgets Compared To Other Toolkits: "Qt doesn't have true native ports like wxWidgets does. Qt does not use system provided widgets, but emulates it with themes. What we mean by this is that even though Qt draws them quite realistically, Qt draws its own widgets on each platform."
  20. "Qt Modular Class Library". Digia. Archived from the original on 1 November 2013. Qt uses the native graphics APIs of each platform it supports, taking full advantage of system resources and ensuring that applications have native look and feel.
  21. "The Qt 4 Style API". The Qt Company. Qt's built-in widgets use [QStyle] to perform nearly all of their drawing, ensuring that they look exactly like the equivalent native widgets.
  22. "wxWidgets: 3.2.6 Released". 9 September 2024. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  23. Alan Coopersmith (30 April 2015). "[ANNOUNCE] libXaw 1.0.13". xorg-announce@lists.x.org (Mailing list). Retrieved 1 July 2020.