For the past few days, I have been trying to find a library that would allow me to write programs with a GUI in C++. My requirements were pretty straightforward:
- Only Windows support required
- Commercial use allowed
- Easy styling, including dark mode
- The result should be a single .exe file with no or minimal dependencies and a size of less than 40MB
- Writing the GUI part of the program should not take more time than the actual functionality
WinUI 3
At first glance, it looks like an excellent choice. It allows you to use modern Windows components while also letting you customize the styling colors. For design, you can use XAML, which is super easy to grasp, or you can just use the Visual Studio designer directly.
(ImGui AppKit compiled app size)
The compiled program has only 500KB in size and does not require the installation of anything, not even VC++ redistributables if you statically link MFC into it.
Note: I am writing this article while it’s 32°C inside my room. As a fellow European, I do not have air conditioning. Please forgive any grammatical errors or poorly structured sentences.
