Programming: GUI

This is the most dreaded part of an application. Anyone can make a commandline application, but there comes a time when that doesn't cut it anymore. No one is buying games that are completely made up of ASCII characters anymore. This is why GUI's are important.

A GUI is a graphical user interface, and this is the view the user has of the program. This allows user to interact with programs in an easy to understand way. Windows XP is an example of a GUI because it hides commands such as cut and paste which you can perform by dragging an item instead of running typing the copy and delete command. In the beginning, there were no GUI's and everyone had to communicate with applications by typing computer commands. Thankfully, technology has progressed.

Some suggestions for making a GUI for your application. The number one rule is make sure the application is fully separated from the GUI. This means that the internal logic of your program should not have anything dependent on the view you choose. This allows you to easily redo the GUI or make alternate views available to the user like many games provide. Another suggestion is to have other people try your application with the GUI. Many times what we think is user friendly really is way off. This will help give some perspective on you creation. Finally, don't be afraid to ask for help. Programmers are normally not artists. It may be helpful to ask for help from graphic arists. Images can make dramatic improvements with the feel of an application.