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I am considering using Ruby for a project, but I'm a complete beginner, so don't know what is, or is not, possible with Ruby 2.0.

I have looked at wxRuby, but it hasn't been updated since 2009, so I take it that means it is not compatible with RUby 2.0.

Is there another option for creating native GUIs, or are these not done in the Ruby land?

Thanks.

Parham Doustdar
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  • It is possible and [Shoes](http://shoesrb.com/) has gained some attention lately. That said, there are quit a few wrappers around QT and GTK. – Anthony Jan 10 '15 at 18:08
  • possible duplicate of [What's the best/easiest GUI Library for Ruby?](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/260905/whats-the-best-easiest-gui-library-for-ruby) – Anthony Jan 10 '15 at 18:08
  • See [With what tools can I make a complex and advanced GUI with Ruby?](https://softwarerecs.stackexchange.com/q/53553/36725). – sondra.kinsey Apr 10 '19 at 00:36

2 Answers2

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It's certainly possible to create GUIs with Ruby, but it doesn't appear to be widely done. Off the top of my head I can think of the following projects that might help you:

  • rwx - project was created as a successor to wxRuby
  • RubyMotion for iOS, Android and OS X
Matt Kirman
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  • Why isn't it widely done? I'm more interested in whether people usually make desktop/mobile UIs, rather than whether it's possible as I am currently looking for the right tool for a small "Pomodoro" desktop application. – Parham Doustdar Jan 10 '15 at 19:09
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Yes, it's certainly possible to create GUIs with Ruby. You can see my full list of Ruby GUI libraries here.

However, desktop Ruby GUI apps aren't widely developed because the Ruby community is heavily weighted toward web application developers, and they are much more likely to build a web application than a desktop application. Ruby is the language of hip tech startups, and conventional user interfaces don't suit their aesthetic.

Also, it's very difficult to build native-looking cross-platform GUI apps, so web applications tend to be more acceptable to end users.

sondra.kinsey
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