wxWidgets

wxWidgets is a free and open-source cross-platform GUI library written in C++. It enables developers to create applications that run on multiple desktop operating systems with native look and feel, using a single codebase.

The library provides a comprehensive set of GUI widgets and controls, including windows, panels, buttons, menus, dialogs, list views, trees, notebooks, and grids. It includes a portable layout system (sizers) for adaptive interfaces, an event-driven architecture, and support for printing, files and I/O, internationalization, and accessibility. Graphics and drawing are supported through a device context abstraction, with optional OpenGL rendering.

Platform support includes Windows, macOS, and Linux/Unix (via the GTK+ port). Other ports have existed in the past, but the core focus is these three major platforms, which allow wxWidgets apps to adopt native controls and behavior across environments.

wxWidgets is primarily a C++ library, but it has bindings to other languages such as wxPython for Python, wxRuby for Ruby, wxPerl for Perl, and wxLua for Lua, enabling rapid application development in those languages while preserving the native look and feel.

The project is distributed under the wxWindows license, a permissive free software license that allows use in proprietary software. It began as wxWindows in the 1990s and was renamed wxWidgets in the early 2000s. It is maintained by a community of contributors alongside corporate sponsors, with ongoing releases and improvements.