Open Shell VS PyQt

• Customization
  Open Shell provides extensive customization options, allowing users to modify the Start menu to fit their preferences, from design to functionality.
• Familiar Interface
  It offers a classic start menu which is familiar to users of older Windows versions, making it easier for them to navigate.
• Open Source
  Being an open-source project, it allows for community contributions, making it more transparent and potentially more secure.
• No Cost
  Open Shell is free to use, providing a cost-effective solution for users who want a different Start menu experience without paying for software.
• Regular Updates
  The project is fairly well-maintained, receiving updates that add new features and fix potential issues, improving user experience over time.

Possible disadvantages

• Compatibility Issues
  There could be compatibility problems with certain Windows updates or third-party applications, requiring troubleshooting and fixes.
• Learning Curve
  While it offers many customization options, new users might find the settings and customization process overwhelming and confusing initially.
• Community Support
  As an open-source project, it relies heavily on community support rather than professional customer service, which can be a drawback for users needing prompt assistance.
• Resource Usage
  Though generally lightweight, Open Shell can consume additional system resources, which might be impactful on less powerful machines.

• Comprehensive UI library
  PyQt provides a wide range of UI components, from basic widgets to advanced tools. This allows for the creation of highly sophisticated interfaces.
• Cross-platform
  Applications built with PyQt can run on different operating systems such as Windows, macOS, and Linux without requiring significant changes in the code.
• Integration with Qt Designer
  Developers can use Qt Designer to design and implement their UIs visually, which can then be seamlessly integrated with Python code in PyQt.
• Powerful event handling
  PyQt includes a highly efficient event handling system that makes it easy to manage user interactions and system events.
• Good documentation and community support
  PyQt is well-documented, and there's a large community of developers who can provide support and share resources.
• Python-specific advantages
  Leveraging Python's simplicity and readability, PyQt allows for rapid development and easy maintenance of applications.

Possible disadvantages

• License considerations
  PyQt is available under the GPL and a commercial license. If you want to create proprietary software without open-sourcing your code, you need to purchase a commercial license.
• Steep learning curve
  While PyQt is powerful, it can have a steep learning curve for newcomers, particularly those who are not familiar with Qt and its paradigms.
• Performance overhead
  Being a binding for Qt, some operations may have extra overhead compared to native Qt applications written in C++.
• Dependency on external libraries
  PyQt relies on the Qt library, which means that you have to manage and distribute these dependencies along with your application.
• Large binary sizes
  Applications created with PyQt can result in relatively large binary sizes because of the included Qt binaries.
• Fragmentation of tools
  There can be fragmentation concerns, as PyQt must stay in sync with Qt, and different versions of Qt may introduce changes that are not immediately reflected in PyQt.

Classic Menu for Windows 10 with Open Shell

Python Top 3 GUI Frameworks In 2019 (PyQt5, wxPython, TKinter)

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Tracking Open Shell since Mar 2021.

• Python vs. JavaScript: Is It a Fair Comparison?

  JavaScript is a clear winner in the category of mobile development. There are some niche frameworks to do mobile development with Python—like Kivy and PyQT—but pretty much nobody uses them. - Source: dev.to / over 4 years ago

• what would be the best looking GUI framework to develop a desktop python application? (other than Tkinter)

  If none of those are to your liking, you can use PyQT (or Pyside) but the learning curve is much steeper. Source: over 4 years ago

• Is there a "Windows Forms" GUI designer for Python?

  Also, there is the PyQt module which is a comprehensive set of Python bindings for the Qt GUI. It has Qt Designer. Source: about 5 years ago

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