C++ GUI and graphics programming

[jankidudel]

Hi, please help me to form an understanding of C++ GUI and graphics programming.
Is it true that C++ has not built-in graphics and GUI library? Using internet i found about this topic in forums: "You must to download some of libraries : ":
BUT which libraries are the best(OpenGl,QT,wxWidgets, DirectX,others) for software, games,programming and suitable for all platforms ?(I don't want too much :)?)
I'm using visual c++, but i don't want to use this product for only 1 platform. Is it any chance to program these things using only plain c++?

Please help, while i'm still with c++ . I's little bit annoying about these troubles in such good language and somtimes i want to forget it and go away for learning java.Sorry for grammar errors.

[Bazzy]

For games etc. I suggest OpenGL, it's powerful and cross platform
For GUI the most common cross platform libraries are Qt, GTK and wxWidgets
Here are some basic examples from these libraries so you can compare them:
GTK http://library.gnome.org/devel/gtk-tutorial/stable/c39.html#SEC-HELLOWORLD
GTKmm http://library.gnome.org/devel/gtkmm-tutorial/unstable/sec-basics-simple-example.html.en
Qt http://doc.trolltech.com/4.3/tutorial-t1.html
wxWidgets http://www.wxwidgets.org/docs/tutorials/hello.htm

[jankidudel]

thanks.

[bigearsbilly]

GTK is more C than C++ I believe, and the documentation is horrendously bad.
Wx I think is more for building GUI than graphics as such. It might lack the power
for doing sooper-dooper stuff, though I could be wrong.

QT is probably the best solution for you though it's large but fully featured.
QT has a very nice IDE (qtcreator) and really good help and some nice graphical
examples.
It also works on Windows, Linux, FreeBSD and Mac.

I'm not an expert on graphical programming by any means
but graphics programming is difficult by nature and burns lots of CPU.
You are always going to need large amounts of library.

There's absolutely no way java would be comparable in speed to a compiled language like C++
especially in intensive graphical operations.

If I were you I'd look at QT first off.

[Bazzy]

GTK is more C than C++ I believe

GTK+ is for C and GTKmm for C++

QT is probably the best solution for you though it's large but fully featured.
QT has a very nice IDE (qtcreator) and really good help and some nice graphical
examples.

Qt is just like the others, it doesn't have anything more. Visual designers exist for the other libraries as well