Phlip wrote:
> Warren Dulnuan wrote:
> 
>> What is the best GUI toolkit for Ruby?
> 
> The most widespread and popular GUI system is the web and HTML, so the 
> leading GUI 


But the question was about "the best", not widespread or leading.  (If 
someone asked for the best programming language, would you suggest Java 
or C++?)


I lay out a set of criteria for selecting a GUI toolkit for Ruby here:

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/library/j-monkeybars/index.html

Feel free to  ignore the second half of the article which is based on my 
unassailable argument for using JRuby + Swing. :)  Part if the article 
discusses the pros and cons of that choice. (Despite my devotion to 
Monkeybars, I'm using Ruby's bindings for KDialog for a few of my 
desktop helper apps until I see a need for something more than a quick 
dialog box.)

I did not include HTML, though.  That's a whole other thread, given the 
wealth of robust Ruby Web tools.  (And most widespread != best, for all 
the same reasons why picking the best desktop GUI tool is so subject to 
particular needs.)

Asking for the best of anything is a problem because no one agrees on 
what "best" means, so specific requirements (platform, licensing, cost 
of tools, available widgets, packaging and deployment options, WYSIWYG 
editors, etc.) are critical.

While this is something of a permathread, the available options are 
constantly changing, so relying on past discussions is sure to leave out 
the latest and greatest.  It's useful to revisit it from time to time 
(unless someone is faithfully maintaining an up-to-date and objective 
resource on Ruby GUI choices).



-- 
James Britt

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