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Comment by chrisseaton | Hacker News Reader

What is the current recommended API if you want to build a big new desktop GUI application for Windows today? Something demanding like a CAD application, perhaps. Something you'd have built using MFC or pure Window API in the past.

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I would probably do qt or WPF. For CAD probably a large part in Directx or Win32. But in general the picture for windows desktop apps is very murky. There is no option that really stands out.

If I had to do a windows app I would seriously consider electron. Which is very sad...

Electron seems to me to be the ideal path for the future. It has some major issues today. But I expect it will get a lot better. Consider the following: Microsoft owns Github and electron. One of the best electron apps is VSCode, a Microsoft creation. Microsoft is replacing the edge engine with chromium.

I expect that in a few years electron will be a very good experience on Windows.

my current option is gambas in linux (or vala before that) but in windows, for small apps i prefer powerbasic forms to generate easily win32 dialog based programs... for larger better looking programs atl/wtl + codejock toolkit. I should try Lazarus (qt + free pascal) but have never reserved the time to reacquire the ability i had with borland delphi in college

I still recommend Win32, there's nothing that beats it for efficiency or compatibility.

FTA: > And the way we know that’s true is that Win32, WPF, and WinForms have all been “elevated to full status”—Gallo’s words—in Windows 10 all these years later.

I guess these three.

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