Hi i want to start prototyping GUI interfaces to learn more about the process but confused about what Glade's (or similar programs) purpose in the development was. I know that at the core you have the normal code that does all the work. or backend if im using the term correctly. Then i knowyou need a gui library like QT or GTK for programming. now to use Glade to make a gui program would you need glade and the libraries or does Glade generate the code from the libraries. Is it similar to something like Dreamweaver for web development? I also have another question related to Glade but not related to the topic. i've heard it is good to know C if you plan on using Glade. why is that? thanks for any replies in advance.

Glade is an interface (GUI) designer. So, yes, there are similarities to Dreamweaver, I guess.

With Glade you make a glade file -- basically an XML desciption of the GUI.

You can then either generate the source code from the glade file or you can use the glade file directly by using libglade in your application. The second way is recommended.

You don't need C. There are language bindings for libglade, and source code generators for C, C++, Python, and probably others as well.

Simple google for "glade tutorial" to find more resources. One that is easy to read can be found here.

Enjoy!

Hi -

Clausi is exactly right. Let me elaborate:

1. Glade (or, the current release, "glade2") is a GUI builder. Nothing more, nothing less. And a very, very good one at that!

2. It's used with the GTK+ libraries (as in "the Gimp ToolKit). GTK+ libraries are available for C (GTK+ itself), C++ (gtkmm), Python, Java, and many other languages. The original architect of GTK+, Miquel de Icaza, has become involved in an Open Source version of .Net (the "Mono" project) in recent years, so you can also use Glade with C#. On Linux or Windows!

3. Personally, I prefer the C interface: it's intuitive, robust, flexible, and it performs well (IMHO).

4. You can read the Glade XML from your GTK+ program and render your GUI programmatically via "libglade". This is the recommended approach to using Glade2.

5. Personally, I prefer to use the Glade GUI builder and C (not C++) code generator to do the "grunt work", then I cut/paste the C glade code into my own C++ UI classes in my own application. It certainly works for me; I'm not sure I'd necessarily advocate it to anybody else.

'Hope that helps .. PSM

so then it would be possible to use libglade and use the same glade file for another project that might have a similar interface?

Yes. That's the idea. The XML UI definition makes it reusable.