I'm trying to dive into creating a GUI (Graphical User Interface) application on my computer, and I really want it to be highly customizable. Ideally, I'd like to start with something simple—like a program that takes user-defined inputs and provides a single output—without having to deal with a console. I'm looking for a desktop application, not anything web-based. I have over five years of programming experience from school, primarily in C, with some exposure to C++ and Python, but it's been a while since I worked on projects. I'm hoping for recommendations on programming languages, development toolkits, or helpful learning resources to kickstart this journey.
4 Answers
Consider using Electron; it's really popular for this kind of development. You could also look into Flutter if you're open to it. Just a heads-up, what operating system are you targeting? If you're focused on Windows, check out this link for more GUI options in the .NET ecosystem: [Visual Studio Magazine](https://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2024/02/13/desktop-dev.aspx).
It’s not widely used anymore, but you might want to look into C++ Builder by Embarcadero. It has a really fast visual form builder for native Windows apps. Many companies still use it for internal tools. It might be a bit old-school, but it can be much more productive than modern frameworks like Electron.
Visual Studio Community Edition is a solid choice, and you should definitely learn C#. It's user-friendly for creating Windows applications and has a lot of resources available to help you get started.
Have you considered Avalonia UI? It offers a great way to build cross-platform desktop applications and has decent documentation to help you get started! Check out their starter tutorial: https://docs.avaloniaui.net/docs/get-started/starter-tutorial.
Mostly Windows. I’ve heard about Electron, but it seemed more geared toward web stuff.