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I wonder which GUI frameworks are the cheesiest to code with and what makes a GUI framework good. Previously, I've been involved with GUI programming on GNU/Linux, Solaris, Amiga and Windoze 9x/NT platforms. It is then not so surprising that I ask /. about GUI programming ;)

In particular, I'm pursuing GUI programming for X11. To give interested hackers a boost, I present the following remarks on how a framework should look like (in no particular order):

• In general, a robust and scalable GUI framework, in C++ or a prominent OO language like Ada9x, is very desirable.
• XFree86 is all pretty good. But times can change, so a framework with platform independence has its pros. (And multi-language capabilities count as well)
• Many libs don't have a good design. A great GUI framework must attain design goals such as uniformity, modularity and comprehensibility.
• For a good design, it should make use of certain design methodologies. For instance it might adhere to a design pattern like MVC.
• The license does matter.
• The framework, where applicable, must support standard stuff. At least it should not disallow use of them. For instance, you'd want threads, you'd really want TCP/IP, you'd like reading in JPEG files.

I also wish to make some comments on a few of the popular GUI frameworks:

• Motif based stuff such as BXPro: I use free software, and on my system Motif progs just look antique. What's more, they are lightning-crash-and-slow-motion. I don't possess a Motif 2.1 product and I don't plan to. How perfect they might be, I am skeptical about them. (I did write with pure Motif, and I'm outta the game)
• QT: This lib forces you to write in a certain style. The keywords introduced by means of moc are not a proper C++ extension. CPP macros, thus signal/slot mechanism is ad hoc. A fatal error is in their failure to recognize standard C++ library. And the license is boring.
• Java swing: The successor to awt has several advantages over the previous. Although I basically dislike Java language, the GUI subsystem features a somewhat nice design.
• GTK+: A framework that has a well defined run-time system. The types give a formal way of handling a general OO design. Multiple language bindings. (C++ bindings are cool)
• JX: After seeing how Code Crusader performed, I abandoned work on it. But still, something that works.
• Other Stuff: freshmeat lists other "widget sets" too, like the FLTK and TOAD which are LGPL'ed. By the way, don't even think of MFC. It is the worst GUI lib that has ever seen the light of sun. It is *not* designed. (I worked with it over a year... :-

Note that I'm not concerned with the user interface, docs, distribtion, etc. of the applications written with a particular lib. Thus, I'm not suggesting a GNOME/KDE flame war. The only purpose is to assess the quality and performance of the software that underlies graphical applications. In this sense, I don't ask how a user interface should be designed. In addition to this, I don't ask what tools are available for the software (like GUI builder). The two chunks of comments above determine my primary questions:

1. What are the aspects of the ideal GUI framework?
2. Among the available software, which GUI frameworks for X11 are preferable and why do we pick them?

Ed: This is a heavy topic, so I'm hoping for some good discussion. If you feel the need to discuss GUI systems available on other platforms (X11 is rather limiting, other platforms may do it better!) feel free. I don't want to stray too far from the original question, but I would like to know what you all think the best GUI framework in existance is. I got quite a few submissions similar to this one so to those of you that them in, I hope this topic covers what you were asking. If it doesn't, you can always send those burning questions back to me by re-submitting them.