Introduction to Software Engineering/Tools/GUI Builder

A graphical user interface builder (or GUI builder), also known as GUI designer, is a software development tool that simplifies the creation of GUIs by allowing the designer to arrange widgets using a drag-and-drop WYSIWYG editor. Without a GUI builder, a GUI must be built by manually specifying each widget's parameters in code, with no visual feedback until the program is run.

User interfaces are commonly programmed using an event-driven architecture, so GUI builders also simplify creating event-driven code. This supporting code connects widgets with the outgoing and incoming events that trigger the functions providing the application logic.

List of GUI builders

Programs

• AutoIt
• Axure RP
• Cocoa/OpenStep
  • Interface Builder
• Embedded Wizard a commercial development tool focussed on user interface applications for embedded systems.
• Fast, Light Toolkit (FLTK)
  • FLUID
• GNUstep
  • Gorm
• GEM
  • Resource construction set
  • Interface by Shift Computer
  • ORCS (Otto's RCS)
  • K-Resource
  • Resource Master
  • Annabel Junior
  • WERCS by HiSoft
• GTK+
  • Glade Interface Designer
  • Gazpacho
  • Gideon Designer
• GUI Builder
• Intrinsics
• Justinmind Prototyper
  • Motif
    • Builder Xcessory
    • Easymotif
    • ixbuild
    • UIMX
    • X-Designer
• LucidChart
• Object Pascal
  • fpGUI UI Designer (included with fpGUI Toolkit)
• OpenWindows
  • guide (GUI builder)
• Pencil Project
• Qt
  • Qt Designer
• Scaleform
• Tk (framework)
  • GUI Builder
  • ActiveState Komodo
  • Visual Tcl (dead project)
  • PureTkGUI
• Wavemaker open source, browser-based development platform for Ajax development based on Dojo, Spring, Hibernate
• Windows Presentation Foundation
  • Microsoft Expression Blend
• wxWidgets
  • wxGlade
  • wxFormBuilder
  • wxDesigner
• XForms (toolkit)
  • fdesign
• Crank Storyboard Suite
  • Storyboard Designer

IDE Plugins

• NetBeans GUI design tool, formerly known as Matisse.
• Visual Editor - A free (Eclipse Public License) plugin for Eclipse on MS Windows and Linux (GTK and Motif).
• Jigloo - A free for non-commercial use plugin for Eclipse on MS Windows, Linux (gtk) and Mac OSX.
• WxSmith - A Code::Blocks plug-in for RAD editing of wxWidgets applications.
• Himalia Guilder (Only for Visual Studio 2005; no release since December '06.)

List of development environments

IDEs with GUI builders

• ActiveState Komodo
• Adobe Flash Builder
• Anjuta
• Ares
• CodeGear RAD Studio (former Borland Development Studio)
• Clarion
• Code::Blocks
• Gambas
• Just BASIC/Liberty BASIC
• KDevelop
• Lazarus
• Microsoft Visual Studio
• MonoDevelop
• MSEide+MSEgui
• NetBeans
• Qt Creator
• REALbasic
• SharpDevelop
• Softwell Maker
• WinDev
• wxDev-C++
• Oracle Application Express