WxFormBuilder ...WxSmith

[buntunddu]

Hi!
I just wanted to know, if anyone really can work fast, efficient and productive with
WxFormbuilder or even with WxSmith... cuz i cannot....

I finally could build my GUIs with these tools, but it took me ages... so i
finally went back to wxdevc++ even of it runs a bit slow under linux with wine.

Or can maybe someone suggest me another good gui builder tool
what i can use easiliy with code::blocks.. doesnt matter if it costs money.
And when you suggest, would you plz be so kind, und tell me how i can integrated
the build guis into CB.

Thx in advance!

[dje]

Hi !

I often use wxGlade.
Main advantage is that you can generate C++, Perl, XRC and Python code with the same project.
You can also use custom controls.

I've used version 4.1 for a while and it had the following problems :

• it becomes unstable with big project
• Code regeneration does not take care of added code (whereas it was correctly handled before)

As I write this post, I just see version 0.5 is out.
I did not test it.

I like it, because it is simple to use and because I often use wxWidgets in C++ AND Perl

As I did not have time to test wxSmith, I can't compare applications.

Code is directly usable in C::B.

Dje

[buntunddu]

Thx so much for your answer!

I will surely give it a go!

It give a short feedback..

[buntunddu]

wow, your right..
its really nice, very easy and comfortable...

I dont know how to specifiy an output file for code generation though...,
so i couldnet use it with code::blocks so far...

I know that must sound dumb.. but i just dont get it...

Maybe anybody can tell me next time anyone is around..

thx again

[dje]

What version do you use ?

[buntunddu]

Using WxGlade 0.5 and Codeblocks from 13.th April (Svn 3849)
on (K)ubuntu edgy 6.10

[buntunddu]

Ok, i figured it out.... and i added the generated files into an empty wxwidgets project...

however..the compiler just gives me a lot of erros (yep, i checked the option generate c++ code )

I ill maybe give another go in some days...

When someone had similar problems plz post..

If i get it to work ill wirte again in some days..

[RJP Computing]

Hi!
I just wanted to know, if anyone really can work fast, efficient and productive with
WxFormbuilder or even with WxSmith... cuz i cannot....

Yes, I can use wxFormBuilder fast and effiently.

There I will answer with an answer that is just as vague as the question. 

What are your problems with wxFormBuilder and wxSmith? Exactly.

My guess is that you are not coding a full application, you are just coding a simple dialog to show a couple pieces of data. I mean no disrespect. There is nothing wrong with that, but why ask the question in this way? Why not ask for a GUI builder that can be used to generate simple user interfaces? I believe there is the right tool for the job.

If you are talking about wxSmith and wxFormBuilder being bloated then I have know idea where you are coming from.

Do you want help making wxFormBuilder or wxSmith work for you? Or are you happy looking at another designer?

[buntunddu]

guessed almost right .

However, i want to learn to code plattform independent applications in c++,
so i started learning with wxdevc++ (so im still a bloody beginner).

And for me, is is very important to get familiar with one IDE, and that its
easy to port applications right form the start.

Since im using linux quite a lot, it would be nice if it's plattform independent too, so
code::blocks is the first choice.

So finally, so exact intentio of my question was not to say, the wxsmith or wxformbuilder are cra...,
BUT:
 i wanted to know and hear from somebody that this tools can be (with some practice of course)
very effectiv, and its just a matter of practice and learning, getting fast and effective with these tools.

So if you say now, there are very useful, then i at once start learning with these tools and get comfortable with them,
without fearing the learning with these tools is in vain, and in some month after learning and coding with wxformbulder
or wxsmith nobody could tell my, that it would be impossible to code as comfortable with codeblocks and wxsmit etec. then
with wxdevc++.

Im a bit used to lazarus, so at the beginning it IS a difference using wxsmith or wxformbulder,because its just..... different .

Im sure ill get used to it, and if you can build applications easily with them, i can learn it too.

So thx for the answer! Im very satisfied with that, cuz i like codeblocks very much, so now i can
keep on learning without any doubts using linux, and knowing i cant do too wrong

So as you already figured out. At the moment im playing around with bulding some guis, building and compiling them on linux and windows,
just to see which ide suits me best. And id just want to get wxsmih and wxformbuilder working for me

My exact problems so far were using the right sizers and choose spacers on the right spot , to get the objects in the right positions.

[Grom]

I am writing GUI since 1993 :shock:. The first my GUI was written in Pascal with Turbo Vision :lol: for MS DOS, when I was a school boy.

Today all wx designers have a lot of problems. The most promising future have only two: wxFormBuilder and wxSmith.

wxDevCpp will never win, because it was designed with Delphy. To have a good developer you have to use that developer for that developer development. On the other hand you attempt to make  a model of the nature behavior of components, raise than using them with their "characters" and "troubles". The best and most successful example is Borland's IDE. That is why a large piece of  my GUI was created with wxDevCpp, only because 2 years ago was nothing better.

If BYO will make something similar to wxFromBuilder + his features or wxFormBuilder will add BYO's futures then that engine won. Both engines are very close to the nice end. Meanwhile, BYO added new cool feature - we can add custom controls with full functionality and made a big step ahead. The only one reason why I don't use wxSmith - because it doesn't have wxGrid, which is critically important in my projects. If I will find time I will add wxGrid control to the wxSmith to start using it.

So my suggestion - to use all developers together in the same project  :wink:, in the places where they more efficient.

[Biplab]

At the beginning you may face difficulty in understanding how a piece of software works. If you can understand it, you can start using it or you'll feel it sucks.

I agree that not all the wx GUI designers are perfect. But wxFormBuilder and wxSmith are among the best. I personally use wxFB as I started with it. But even when I wanted to use wxSmith, it was not much of pain to figure out how it works.

wxDevCpp will never win, because it was designed with Delphy.

I agree with this statement. There are couple of reasons why it won't win.
1. They are trying to emulate C++ with Delphi, which is not the best idea.
2. Delphi source is can't be compiled in Linux (unless you've Kylix). Even FreePascal project does not support all VCL codes. So try to port it and they are bound to fail.
3. Still VCL is lacking Unicode. Though 3rd-party controls are available, but VCL doesn't support Unicode natively.

wxDevC++ is good for beginners as it works out of the box. But once you are familiar with wx, you'll come to know about it's limitations.

[szczepan]

(...) and wxSmith are among the best.

I beg to differ. wxSmith feels like a pre-alpha to me, and it has been for about two years. I keep hearing of improvements being continually added to it but I just can't see any of those (with one exception I'll mention at the end).

Every month I try to see what improvements have been done. Every month I create a wxSmith project and start toying around. Every month I decide after no more than 15 minutes that wxSmith has still a long way to go.

It doesn't have context menus for objects.

It doesn't have drag-and-drop insertion.

When the resources panel appears for the first time, the object tree is not sized properly and can't be seen. It took me to sleep with the problem to find the object tree: hmm, just what is that horizontal scrollbar on top of the property sheet?

Many controls don't "edit" naturally: you can't just drag the sash of a splitter window, you must oops, actually you can't even edit the sash position manually in the properties, you just have to live with the 50/50 split in design mode (and perhaps write code to set the desired proportion in the running app, but I haven't got that far). Update: actually, the sash position can be changed, in completely unpredictable ways, by resizing the entire splitter window, the contained windows, or the frame.

The insertion mode (into/before/after) is indicated very poorly (with a small red tick on the icons), and is a Soviet patent to begin with. The right way is MODifier keys, not MODes. (Of course the old way should remain as an option for those who got used to it).

And finally, the only noticeable improvement (that is, noticeable-before-you-have-enough) is the final demise of the dreaded "rubber panel" effect where one couldn't resize a top level panel or frame in the editor because it kept shrinking to the smallest possible size as calculated by the sizer. So if I added an empty sizer I used to end up with a 1x1 pixel square. This is no longer the case, hosanna, but still a long way to go for wxSmith to achieve even rudimentary usability.

[RJP Computing]

Meanwhile, BYO added new cool feature - we can add custom controls with full functionality and made a big step ahead.

FYI.
This is interesting, but wxFormBuilder has an easy way to include your custom controls already built in and it has been that way for a couple of years. It has become much easier in version 3.x, but you should check out this article on adding custom controls to wxFormBuilder. It also has "subclassing" for quick and easy control placement.

@buntunddu
If you want to learn wxFormBuilder, be sure to post questions on the forum. Be sure to use a nightly build as well. Also take a look at the wiki. It has a growing section of tutorials.

[Biplab]

I beg to differ. wxSmith feels like a pre-alpha to me, ...

You may differ.   Choice will vary from person to person.

When the resources panel appears for the first time, the object tree is not sized properly and can't be seen. It took me to sleep with the problem to find the object tree: hmm, just what is that horizontal scrollbar on top of the property sheet?

Please file a bug-report.

[buntunddu]

Thx RJB Computing, for the nice links.

You bundled very useful and handy informations aobut wxformbulder,
i will check that out.