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.

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.)

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