Programming language for GUI compilable to native binary

Question

I need to write an app that reads a config file with info on the menu bars it needs to create.

Normally, I'd just use java, but I need the application to have the least run-time dependencies possible, this includes not forcing the user to download anything, even JRE, let alone something like NET Framework.

So I need something that can compile to an EXE (windows only for now), and that will allow me to CODE the GUI, so I can dynamically create it from my config.

BTW: something like C++ is a bit too low level, all I need is to create menus, and display HTMLs in a panel.

Answer 1

If Java's too high-level and C++ too low-level, there ins't much in-between. Maybe Delphi?

Answer 2

Delphi is best chose for you. Because Delphi compile source code into native x86.

Answer 3

I wouldn't totally write off using Java and/or Python for a few reasons.

1) py2exe can compile your Python code to an exe.

2) GCJ can compile your Java code to an exe.

Answer 4

Have you considered D ? It has a syntax that is like a mixture of Java, C++ and Python with the ability to make native windows apps. The tutorials on dprogramming.com are great to get up and going with the language. For quick GUIs you'd be interested in The D Forms Library and the Entice Designer.

Here are some short video tutorials to get up and running with Entice.

Alternatively, have you tried Qt & Qt Creator? It takes a lot of the hair pulling out of C++ Programming and it's also cross-platform.

Answer 5

How about wxPython together with py2exe? There is a nice tutorial on how to do it here.

Answer 6

Unless you have serious reasons to avoid interpreted languages, I would suggest you better look into ways of packaging or compiling interpreted scripts because doing this will likely reduce your learning and development time.

I would write a simple GUI in Tcl/Tk, and then package it as a Starpack.

ActiveState provides a distribution (ActiveTCL) and a decent editor (Komodo Edit), and it is fairly easy to get simple GUIs going with Tk. Check out TkDocs for some hand holding.

Once you're done, you can package your code, a Tcl runtime, a database, and a virtual filesystem, all into a single executable that you can easily distribute.

Answer 7

You say:

all I need is to create menus, and display HTMLs in a panel.

A lot like a Web browser, then. If it's going to run on Windows, then the user has IE. Why not use IE to do all the work for you?

You can make something a lot like an .exe with IE, called an .hta:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms536496(VS.85).aspx

Answer 8

Earwicker is right. You can use HTA: http://www.interclasse.com/scripts/htanotepad.php

But if you know C++, then creating this type of an application is actually very easy with Visual C++. Use MFC, and statically link everything. You can draw the menu in the resource editor, and attach events to the menu items. I wouldn't use HTML if I were you. Just use regular Windows controls. But if you're really set on using HTML, you can embed a Browser control in the formview.