# Best GUI toolkit for windows/OSX **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [December 20, 2007, 1:21pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/best-gui-toolkit-for-windows-osx/123765 "2007-12-20T13:21:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![e\_deleflie](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/858c86/32.png) [@e\_deleflie](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/e_deleflie)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2007, 1:21pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/best-gui-toolkit-for-windows-osx/123765/1 "2007-12-20T13:21:10Z")
Hi, I’m developing a simple little application (with a GUI) in Ruby (newb status). Needs to run windows and OSX (and later on linux). So far I’ve been building it with tcl tk … but I’m wondering if there’s an other GUI toolkit that is perhaps smaller and easier to bundle (cross platform) with my little app? Etienne ---
**Author:** ![e\_deleflie](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/858c86/32.png) [@e\_deleflie](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/e_deleflie)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2007, 1:27pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/best-gui-toolkit-for-windows-osx/123765/2 "2007-12-20T13:27:36Z")
A google search as in: "_GUI toolkit" “Ruby”_ turned _52,100 hits_. ---
**Author:** ![e\_deleflie](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/858c86/32.png) [@e\_deleflie](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/e_deleflie)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2007, 1:32pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/best-gui-toolkit-for-windows-osx/123765/3 "2007-12-20T13:32:53Z")
> A google search as in: "_GUI toolkit" “Ruby”_ turned _52,100 hits_. which is precisely why I ask the question on a list… if you are saying that I should take my question elsewhere… please let me know of a more appropriate list. Etienne ---
**Author:** ![e\_deleflie](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/858c86/32.png) [@e\_deleflie](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/e_deleflie)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2007, 2:33pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/best-gui-toolkit-for-windows-osx/123765/4 "2007-12-20T14:33:10Z")
No, No. I’m sorry if I did not explain myself. Please accept my apologies if I upset you. All questions are valid here. I was only pointing you to a starting point, just in case that you had not done so. Furthermore, sometimes you can find your answer quicker from past posts than waiting for someone to answer. GUI Toolkits for Ruby comes up at least once a week. Thanks Victor ---
**Author:** ![e\_deleflie](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/858c86/32.png) [@e\_deleflie](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/e_deleflie)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2007, 5:07pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/best-gui-toolkit-for-windows-osx/123765/5 "2007-12-20T17:07:58Z")
Hi e why\_the\_lucky\_stiff is hard at work developing a light and simple gui called Shoes Still needs work but is useable already see [http://code.whytheluckystiff.net/shoes/](http://code.whytheluckystiff.net/shoes/) e deleflie wrote: > ``` > Hi, > > I’m developing a simple little application (with a GUI) in Ruby (newb > status). Needs to run windows and OSX (and later on linux). > > So far I’ve been building it with tcl tk … but I’m wondering if > there’s an > other GUI toolkit that is perhaps smaller and easier to bundle (cross > platform) with my little app? > > Etienne > ``` > > ``` > * * * > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.17.5/1190 - Release Date: > 19/12/2007 19:37 > ``` ---
**Author:** ![e\_deleflie](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/858c86/32.png) [@e\_deleflie](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/e_deleflie)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2007, 3:13pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/best-gui-toolkit-for-windows-osx/123765/6 "2007-12-20T15:13:05Z")
e deleflie wrote: > My recollection is that wxWindows is the closest to “native” look and feel of all the GUI toolkits that Ruby supports. As far as other factors – ease of use, compactness, etc. – I think they’re all pretty much the same, although for “professional” GUI application development, I think Qt is the best-engineered and Gtk+ is a very close second. That said, if Tcl/Tk is working for you, I wouldn’t spend a lot of energy looking at the others. There’s a cost in switching, and as far as I know there aren’t any “translators” from one tool kit to another. They all have different application design frameworks, different interfaces, and varying levels of documentation and support for the Ruby bindings. ---
**Author:** ![e\_deleflie](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/858c86/32.png) [@e\_deleflie](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/e_deleflie)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2007, 8:12pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/best-gui-toolkit-for-windows-osx/123765/7 "2007-12-20T20:12:01Z")
On 20 dec 2007, at 13.20, e deleflie wrote: > Etienne > One of your options is to write a Wrapper ruby package for QT from > TrollTech. > It’s a commercial package, but is available under GPL for open-source > projects. ---
**Author:** ![e\_deleflie](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/858c86/32.png) [@e\_deleflie](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/e_deleflie)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2007, 8:24pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/best-gui-toolkit-for-windows-osx/123765/8 "2007-12-20T20:24:18Z")
Tommy N. wrote: > TrollTech. > It’s a commercial package, but is available under GPL for open-source > projects. …or use the already-available Ruby/Qt. Best regards, Jari W. ---
**Author:** ![e\_deleflie](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/858c86/32.png) [@e\_deleflie](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/e_deleflie)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 9:02am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/best-gui-toolkit-for-windows-osx/123765/9 "2007-12-21T09:02:58Z")
e deleflie wrote: > wxRuby (Ruby bindings for wxWidgets) is the best out there currently for cross-platform (obviously native widgets) and stability. As far as the ease of bundling it, it’s usually just a matter of running a gem command.