How to make a gui in julia

Julia is a powerful programming language that allows you to create graphical user interfaces (GUIs) for your applications. In this article, we will explore three different ways to make a GUI in Julia.

Option 1: Using the Gtk.jl Package

The Gtk.jl package is a popular choice for creating GUIs in Julia. It provides a set of bindings to the Gtk+ library, which is a widely used toolkit for creating graphical interfaces.

using Gtk

function create_gui()
    win = GtkWindow("My GUI", 400, 300)
    button = GtkButton("Click me!")
    label = GtkLabel("Hello, Julia!")

    vbox = GtkVBox()
    push!(vbox, button)
    push!(vbox, label)

    push!(win, vbox)
    showall(win)
end

create_gui()

This code imports the Gtk module and defines a function called create_gui(). Inside this function, we create a window, a button, and a label. We then add the button and label to a vertical box container, and finally add the container to the window. The showall() function is used to display the window.

Option 2: Using the WebIO.jl Package

If you prefer to create a web-based GUI, you can use the WebIO.jl package. This package allows you to create interactive web applications using Julia.

using WebIO
using WebIO.jl

@webio function create_gui()
    button = button("Click me!")
    label = label("Hello, Julia!")

    vbox = vbox(button, label)
    display(vbox)
end

WebIO.install_jupyter_nbextension()
create_gui()

This code imports the WebIO module and defines a function called create_gui(). Inside this function, we create a button and a label using the WebIO.jl package’s functions. We then add the button and label to a vertical box container. The display() function is used to render the GUI in the Jupyter notebook.

Option 3: Using the Makie.jl Package

If you are interested in creating data visualizations and interactive plots, you can use the Makie.jl package. This package provides a high-level interface for creating 2D and 3D visualizations.

using Makie

function create_gui()
    scene = Scene()
    button = Button(scene, "Click me!")
    label = Label(scene, "Hello, Julia!")

    vbox = VBox(button, label)
    layout(scene, vbox)
end

create_gui()

This code imports the Makie module and defines a function called create_gui(). Inside this function, we create a scene, a button, and a label using the Makie.jl package’s functions. We then add the button and label to a vertical box container. The layout() function is used to arrange the GUI components in the scene.

After exploring these three options, it is clear that the best choice depends on your specific requirements. If you need a traditional desktop GUI, Gtk.jl is a solid choice. If you prefer a web-based GUI, WebIO.jl is a great option. And if you are interested in data visualizations, Makie.jl provides a powerful interface. Consider your needs and choose the option that best suits your project.