[fpc-pascal] which GUI (noob)

[Mark Morgan Lloyd]

Gour wrote:
> Hello,
> I’m new to FPC and researching about different GUI options available towrite open-source multi-platform desktop app using FPC…
> Based on what I’ve found there are mainly three options:
> a) Lazarus and LCL
> b) fpGUI
> c) MSEgui
> Afaict, a) support all three main OS-es - Linux, Mac & Windows byproviding native look’n’feel although, iirc, Cocoa supprt for Mac is notfinished yet.
> MSEgui works on Linux and Windows, while fpGUI works on all three OS-esbut on Mac support is done via X11 libs.
> Now, let me say that Linux (Debian) is my native platform which I useand will develop on it, but would like to provide versions for Mac &Windows.
> Does it automatically eliminates c) or there is plan to add support forMac?
> Is b)’s support for Mac via X11 good-enough or is b) more suitable, as Iread somewhere, for embedded platforms?
> What about learning curve of each one?
> I probably do not need full power of GTK2(3) or Qt toolkit, but needsome database support - app would use sqlite3 as storage backend.
> Another concern is that, afaics, both b) and c) are mostly one-manproject, while a) has much larger community behind.
> Any advice is helpful?

The first option would be a pure Pascal one, driving either a graphical 
or a text-based (curses etc.) UI. However in practice I think you'll 
find that the majority in here who have any interest in GUI support use 
Lazarus.

I tend to use the FPC+Lazarus combination on (Debian) Linux targeting 
x86 (including -64), SPARC, PPC and sometimes ARM, MIPS is also getting 
there slowly. Sometimes also x86 Windows and SPARC Solaris, and other 
people regularly target OSX etc. There is a bit of a problem in that all 
of us tend to test the less popular combinations somewhat sporadically, 
and at present some of these really do require careful choice of 
compiler version and- if using Lazarus- widget set.

fpGUI and MSEgui definitely have their good points, they're lean and are 
only mean in self-defence :-)

-- 
Mark Morgan Lloyd
markMLl .AT. telemetry.co .DOT. uk

[Opinions above are the author's, not those of his employers or colleagues]