Advice for GUI programming please?

[fernando306]

Hello!

I'm fluent in C programming as I've been programming embedded systems with microcontrollers for years. Now, I find myself in the need to design a program to run on the computer and send data through a serial port. Actually I've accomplished it using C without graphical interface, just for experimental purposes, I still need to develop a friendly GUI program, with sliders, checkboxes, and 2D simple graphics. I have no idea where to start... Do I need to learn other programming language? Is there any "GUI program framework" to start with? I am considering Visual C from microsoft and also GNU GTK... I honestly have no idea what are the pros and cons and if I need to learn C++ or C would be just fine?

I'd appreciate any input on this matter, because I am really lost here...

Thanks a lot!

Best wishes,
Fernando

[Max Peck]

Fernando,

I used to do a lot of low-level device coding in C myself, so I know where you're coming from.

I now do all of my desktop GUI development in C# under Visual Studio 2008 Standard. I bought mine a year or two ago for about $150 (on e-bay) though I've noticed that right now it's a bit more expensive. Still ... I think it's worth the bucks. 2008 is, IMHO, one of the better versions Microsoft produced. Along with that I use SQL Server 2008 R2 (Express Version) which is free from MS. I also purchased a copy of Active Reports 6 for about $700 which I consider worth every penny.

If you've been writing straight C, you're going to have to scale a bit of a learning curve to get yourself into Object-Oriented coding but in the long run it will be worth it. You might also want to acquire a book on C# 2008. You can find a number of titles for this version on Wrox and APress.

I've developed stuff in C#2008 that handles I/O through the USB just fine: it works very well.

Also ... my front-ends (GUI) are developed with the WinForms system. Some here might tell you to go with WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation) but I think you'll find WinForms consistent and easier to learn. WPF is more *advanced* for drawing customized forms with weird shapes and stuff like that but if you're anything like me you simply want a clean and crisp (and consistent) front-end implementation. WinForms has been around a long time and will probably be around long after other technologies come and go. My 2-cents on that, anyway.

HTH,

-Max

[nuzzle]

You could have a look at Qt. It's a GUI application framework for C++.

http://qt.nokia.com/

[scottintexas]

This may be a hi jacking, but I wanted to continue Max's answer. If your GUI had "moving" sections, such as the Solution Explorer or the Properties Window in Visual Studio, and you wanted to skew that window, would a winform allow it? Or is that the very reason for WPF?