GTK+ vs. Qt

MTK358 · 07-19-2010, 03:34 PM

I seriously started to wonder, which is better to write programs in?

Things I like about Qt:

First of all, is the language. GTK+ is in C, with this strange object-oriented system, and all the methods have such long, redundant names. Qt is written in an OO language, so it avoids this completaly.

Also, when learning how to use them I found that Qt code is cleaner and seems easier to work with, while GTK+ seems a bit messy, probably as a side effect of it's OO C code.

Qt itself doesn't seem to be strongly tied to a certain desktop environment (even though it's use is often associated with KDE), while GTK+ is developed as part of GNOME. Will GTK+ ever become somehow GNOME-biased?

Qt has signals and slots, I think it's a nice system. GTK+ uses callbacks.

Things I like about GTK+:

GTK+ is far more popular than Qt, and seems to be more customizable and have more themes.

I was always under the impression that GTK+ is more "FOSS-oriented" than Qt. AFAIK GTK+ is open-source all the way, while Qt was proprietary and was forced to be put under a FOSS license just because KDE used it. It just seems to have more of a "open-source hacker" that "big corporation" feel

It's just a plain, small GUI toolkit.

It has Perl bindings. I wasn't able to find a full, popular, supported Perl Qt4 binding.

Anyway, I wonder if any of my ideas above are wrong, and what should I probably use?

dugan · 07-19-2010, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTK358

GTK+ is developed as part of GNOME.

Are you sure about this?

Quote:

I found that Qt code is cleaner and seems easier to work with

That should be the deciding factor. Maintainability should always be one of your top priorities.

Choosing a toolkit that you enjoy using less, for silly reasons such as a) it being used by projects you're not involved in, or b) the way its license was written before it was changed ten years ago, is not something you do unless someone forces you to.

MTK358 · 07-19-2010, 03:47 PM

A lot of GTK+ development info is on GNOME's website, also this thread worries me somewhat:

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...-3-0-a-820085/

dugan · 07-19-2010, 03:57 PM

Quote:

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...-3-0-a-820085/

It's too early to start worrying about GTK 3. When you use any library at all, you always take the risk that a new version will contain API changes that will break your existing work. You deal with that when it happens.

Sergei Steshenko · 07-19-2010, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTK358

...
GTK+ is far more popular than Qt, and seems to be more customizable and have more themes.
...

I don't think gtk+ has more themes - visit http://kde-look.org/ .

Sergei Steshenko · 07-19-2010, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dugan

Are you sure about this?

That should be the deciding factor. Maintainability should always be one of your top priorities.
...

Yes.

Sergei Steshenko · 07-19-2010, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTK358

...
It has Perl bindings. I wasn't able to find a full, popular, supported Perl Qt4 binding.
...

That's exactly the sad reason I have to use gtk+ rather than Qt.

exvor · 07-19-2010, 06:59 PM

One of the main issues with QT is that you have to have almost all of KDE installed to be able to use programs with it. GTK is not this way, many of the programs do not require you to have most of GNOME installed. I am able to write a GTK program that only requires gtk+ cairo and maybe 2 other libraries installed. Of course I am looking at this from a LFS or compiled source point of view and not a distro point of view. Last time I attempted to install qt from source it was a bit of a nightmare so I have yet to try and install it again. This is why I cannot run QT programs.

BTW I don't use gnome either as it is a nightmare of dependencies so I only install what is minimally required to get gtk programs to function. I will also admit I have only written small programs in GTK and have no experience with writing qt programs at all.

Kenny_Strawn · 07-19-2010, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dugan

Are you sure about this?

Code:

git clone git://git.gnome.org/gtk+

This is ultimately where you would download GTK+ to develop it, and it's on the GNOME website!

Please note that there is a gtk3 branch already:

Code:

git clone git://git.gnome.org/gtk+ gtk3

GTK+ currently is at its 2.90 version, a.k.a. GTK3 Beta.

For more information:

http://live.gnome.org/TwoPointThirtyone

http://live.gnome.org/GTK%2B/Roadmap

MTK358 · 07-19-2010, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by exvor

One of the main issues with QT is that you have to have almost all of KDE installed to be able to use programs with it. GTK is not this way, many of the programs do not require you to have most of GNOME installed.

That's because most Qt programs use KDE libs.

You can write a Qt app that doesn't rely on KDE just as easy as you can write a GTK+ app that doesn't rely on GNOME.

Sergei Steshenko · 07-19-2010, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by exvor

...I am able to write a GTK program that only requires gtk+ cairo and maybe 2 other libraries installed. ...

Well, it depends on how you interpret "couple".

Do you know that, for example. gtk+ depends on 'openssl' ? And on 'pcre' ?

Should I continue ?

MTK358 · 07-19-2010, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sergei Steshenko

Do you know that, for example. gtk+ depends on 'openssl' ? And on 'pcre' ?

Really? Why would it?

Sergei Steshenko · 07-19-2010, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTK358

Really? Why would it?

See the "unrolled" dependency tree:

Code:

$scalar_path=gtk+
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> atk
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> atk -> glib
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> atk -> glib -> gettext
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> atk -> glib -> gettext -> libiconv_pre
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> atk -> glib -> gettext -> libiconv_pre -> libtool
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> atk -> glib -> gettext -> libiconv_pre -> libtool -> automake
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> atk -> glib -> gettext -> libiconv_pre -> libtool -> automake -> autoconf
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> atk -> glib -> gettext -> libiconv_pre -> libtool -> automake -> autoconf -> texinfo
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> atk -> glib -> libiconv
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> atk -> glib -> libiconv -> gettext
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> atk -> glib -> libiconv -> gettext -> libiconv_pre
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> atk -> glib -> libiconv -> gettext -> libiconv_pre -> libtool
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> atk -> glib -> libiconv -> gettext -> libiconv_pre -> libtool -> automake
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> atk -> glib -> libiconv -> gettext -> libiconv_pre -> libtool -> automake -> autoconf
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> atk -> glib -> libiconv -> gettext -> libiconv_pre -> libtool -> automake -> autoconf -> texinfo
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> atk -> glib -> pcre
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> atk -> glib -> pcre -> readline
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> cairo
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> cairo -> fontconfig
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> cairo -> fontconfig -> freetype
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> cairo -> libpng
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> cups
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> cups -> libjpeg
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> cups -> libjpeg -> libtool
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> cups -> libjpeg -> libtool -> automake
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> cups -> libjpeg -> libtool -> automake -> autoconf
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> cups -> libjpeg -> libtool -> automake -> autoconf -> texinfo
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> cups -> libpng
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> cups -> libtiff
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> cups -> libtiff -> libjpeg
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> cups -> libtiff -> libjpeg -> libtool
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> cups -> libtiff -> libjpeg -> libtool -> automake
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> cups -> libtiff -> libjpeg -> libtool -> automake -> autoconf
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> cups -> libtiff -> libjpeg -> libtool -> automake -> autoconf -> texinfo
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> cups -> openssl
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> cups -> openssl -> bc
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> cups -> openssl -> bc -> flex
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> cups -> openssl -> bc -> flex -> bison
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> jasper
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> jasper -> libjpeg
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> jasper -> libjpeg -> libtool
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> jasper -> libjpeg -> libtool -> automake
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> jasper -> libjpeg -> libtool -> automake -> autoconf
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> jasper -> libjpeg -> libtool -> automake -> autoconf -> texinfo
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> libjpeg
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> libjpeg -> libtool
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> libjpeg -> libtool -> automake
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> libjpeg -> libtool -> automake -> autoconf
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> libjpeg -> libtool -> automake -> autoconf -> texinfo
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> libtiff
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> libtiff -> libjpeg
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> libtiff -> libjpeg -> libtool
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> libtiff -> libjpeg -> libtool -> automake
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> libtiff -> libjpeg -> libtool -> automake -> autoconf
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> libtiff -> libjpeg -> libtool -> automake -> autoconf -> texinfo
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> pango
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> pango -> cairo
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> pango -> cairo -> fontconfig
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> pango -> cairo -> fontconfig -> freetype
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> pango -> cairo -> libpng
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> pango -> glib
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> pango -> glib -> gettext
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> pango -> glib -> gettext -> libiconv_pre
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> pango -> glib -> gettext -> libiconv_pre -> libtool
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> pango -> glib -> gettext -> libiconv_pre -> libtool -> automake
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> pango -> glib -> gettext -> libiconv_pre -> libtool -> automake -> autoconf
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> pango -> glib -> gettext -> libiconv_pre -> libtool -> automake -> autoconf -> texinfo
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> pango -> glib -> libiconv
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> pango -> glib -> libiconv -> gettext
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> pango -> glib -> libiconv -> gettext -> libiconv_pre
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> pango -> glib -> libiconv -> gettext -> libiconv_pre -> libtool
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> pango -> glib -> libiconv -> gettext -> libiconv_pre -> libtool -> automake
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> pango -> glib -> libiconv -> gettext -> libiconv_pre -> libtool -> automake -> autoconf
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> pango -> glib -> libiconv -> gettext -> libiconv_pre -> libtool -> automake -> autoconf -> texinfo
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> pango -> glib -> pcre
$scalar_path=gtk+ -> pango -> glib -> pcre -> readline

I've been building gtk+ automatically since 2006.

dugan · 07-19-2010, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kenny_Strawn

This is ultimately where you would download GTK+ to develop it, and it's on the GNOME website!

The GNOME project's repository is also hosting GIMP, and GIMP is not "developed as part of GNOME."

Tinkster · 07-19-2010, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by exvor

One of the main issues with QT is that you have to have almost all of KDE installed to be able to use programs with it.

Where did that one come from?

On Slackware64 13.1 no part of Qt is linked against
any KDE libraries. Why would I need "almost all of
KDE installed" to use any program?