I’m used to building web apps where I have HTML for structure, CSS for styling, JavaScript for interactions, and backend languages like PHP or Python for server logic.
Now I want to create a desktop app but I’m confused about how things work differently. In web development everything feels separated and clear to me.
I have a few questions:
How does the UI layer communicate with the application logic in desktop apps? Is it similar to how HTML forms send data to server scripts?
If I use C++ for example, how do I create actual windows and buttons instead of just console text? How can I add animations and effects like I do with JavaScript libraries?
I’ve seen tools like Adobe AIR and Electron that let you package web technologies into desktop apps. Are these worth using or should I learn native development?
I’m also wondering about the overall architecture. Does desktop development follow patterns like MVC that I might recognize from web frameworks?
Any guidance would be helpful since I’m pretty lost on where to start with this transition.
what kind of desktop app are you building? that’ll help figure out the best approach. also, how much do u care about file size and memory usage? that’s where electron really shows its downsides compared to native options.
for sure, electron’s great if ur coming from web dev! like, look at vscode and discord, they use it. it can be heavier than native but u save time. the ui’s event-driven just like web dev, but everything’s local so no req/res stuff!
Desktop architecture does use familiar patterns like MVC, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble transitioning. The main difference is that your UI talks to application logic through event handlers and callbacks instead of HTTP requests. When someone clicks a button, it triggers a function directly in memory rather than sending data off to a server. For C++ GUI work, you’ll want frameworks like Qt or wxWidgets - they handle the window system integration and widget creation for you. They take care of all the OS calls needed to draw windows, buttons, and process user input. Animations work differently than CSS though. You’ll typically use timer-based updates or grab a dedicated animation library. As for tech choice, native development gives you better performance and system integration, but Electron lets you move faster using your existing web skills. It’s basically resource usage vs development speed. Just think about what your app needs and who’s using it when you decide.