QT4, GTK+, wxWidgets or IronPython for a native Windows app using Python

Question

Hi there. I need to build a native windows app using Python (and py2exe, I guess).

Feature requirements are:

1. Taskbar icon
2. Alert notifications (next to Taskbar Icon)
3. Chromeless window (ideally a pretty, rounded, coloured one).
4. Webkit to render some of the Chromeless window

So far I've identified the following possible toolkits:

• pyGTK
• pyQT4
• wxWidgets
• ironpython

I haven't used any of these before and so I look to you for advice on the suitability or pitfalls of choosing one of the above.

Many thanks for your thoughts!

rich

PS: I've considered and discounted Titanium and Air; Air is out because of the runtime, Titanium is out because of the compile / deploy model.

EDIT: Here are promising (read: in development) LGPL Python bindings for QT (Why pyQT couldn't have just done LGPL I don't know): http://www.pyside.org/

Answer 1

I've been using wxPython for sometime for deploying commercial grade apps.

You may have issues with qt's licensing.

I like wx because it's still very portable, and less dated than GTK. Which imo leaves only wx, but it's still an opinion call. Good luck.

wx can do all the things you've listed at the top.

Answer 2

Qt has a clean and consistent API, complete widgets set, excellent documentation and tools and Webkit integration is built in.

In my opinion none of the other libraries you cite offer all of these, so my advice would be to use PyQt4 if you can live with its licensing scheme.