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Processing VS GTK

Compare Processing VS GTK and see what are their differences

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Processing logo Processing

C++ and Java programming at the speed of thought.

GTK logo GTK

GTK+ is a multi-platform toolkit for creating graphical user interfaces.
  • Processing Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-12

We recommend LibHunt Processing for discovery and comparisons of trending Processing projects.

  • GTK Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-17

Processing features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    Processing has a simple and straightforward syntax, making it accessible for beginners and quick for prototyping.
  • Visualization Capabilities
    Processing excels at creating visually appealing graphics, animations, and interactive content.
  • Active Community
    Processing has a large, active community that contributes tutorials, examples, libraries, and forums support.
  • Cross-Platform
    Processing is cross-platform, allowing developers to run their sketches on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
  • Educational Focus
    Processing is designed with teaching in mind and is widely used in educational settings to teach programming concepts.
  • Integration with Other Tools
    Processing can be easily integrated with other creative coding tools and software such as Arduino.

Possible disadvantages of Processing

  • Performance Limitations
    Processing may not be the best choice for highly performance-critical applications, especially those requiring intense computation.
  • Limited Functionality
    While great for graphics and animation, Processing might be limited for other types of development like database-driven applications.
  • Java Dependency
    Processing is built on top of Java, which may not be ideal or preferred for all users, especially those who do not wish to work with Java.
  • Scalability Issues
    Processing sketches might face challenges when scaling up to large or more complex projects.
  • Basic IDE
    The Processing IDE is quite basic compared to more advanced development environments, potentially limiting for complex project management.

GTK features and specs

  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    GTK supports multiple platforms including Linux, Windows, and macOS, making it versatile for developing applications across different operating systems.
  • Rich Widget Set
    GTK provides a comprehensive set of widgets for GUIs, allowing developers to create complex and highly functional user interfaces.
  • Open Source
    Being open-source, GTK offers developers the ability to inspect, modify, and distribute their modifications, fostering a community of collaboration and innovation.
  • Language Bindings
    GTK supports multiple programming languages through various bindings, including C, Python, and JavaScript, thereby offering flexibility to developers.
  • Consistent Look and Feel
    GTK strives to maintain a consistent look and feel across applications and platforms, providing a unified user experience.

Possible disadvantages of GTK

  • Steep Learning Curve
    For beginners, GTK can present a steep learning curve due to its comprehensive nature and the depth of its APIs.
  • Performance Overhead
    GTK applications can sometimes exhibit performance issues, especially on less powerful hardware, due to the extensive features and capabilities it includes.
  • Limited Native Support on macOS
    Although GTK is cross-platform, native support and integration on macOS can be limited compared to its support on Linux and Windows.
  • Heavy Dependencies
    GTK applications often require a significant amount of dependencies, which can lead to larger application sizes and more complex installation processes.
  • Documentation Quality
    While GTK has extensive documentation, the quality and depth can sometimes be inconsistent, which may hinder learning and troubleshooting for developers.

Analysis of Processing

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Processing is considered to be good, especially for artists, designers, and beginners who are interested in creative coding. Its simplicity and focus on visual output make it an excellent entry point for those looking to merge programming with art.

Why this product is good

  • Processing is a flexible software sketchbook and a language for learning how to code within the context of the visual arts. It's highly appreciated for its simplicity and ease of use, making it accessible for beginners. Additionally, it has a strong community and a wealth of tutorials and examples that help users to quickly get started with creating visual art and interactive media.

Recommended for

  • Artists and designers who want to learn coding
  • Educators looking for a tool to teach coding in a visual context
  • Beginners interested in interactive graphics and visualizations
  • Developers who want to quickly prototype visual ideas

Analysis of GTK

Overall verdict

  • Yes, GTK is a good choice for developers looking to create cross-platform desktop applications. It is especially beneficial for those who prioritize open-source software and appreciate a well-documented, community-supported framework.

Why this product is good

  • GTK, which stands for GIMP Toolkit, is a highly versatile and widely-used open-source library for creating graphical user interfaces. It is praised for its ease of use, comprehensive documentation, and ability to produce visually appealing, native-looking interfaces across different operating systems. With a large community and a wealth of resources, GTK is continuously updated, ensuring it remains relevant for modern application development. Developers also appreciate its integration capabilities with various programming languages like C, C++, Python, and more.

Recommended for

  • Developers creating cross-platform desktop applications
  • Open-source software enthusiasts
  • Projects requiring consistent look and feel across different operating systems
  • Those seeking integration with programming languages like C, C++, and Python

Processing videos

Processing - Kickstarter Board Game Review

More videos:

  • Review - Processing or p5.js? My opinions
  • Review - Processing: A Game of Serving Humanity Review

GTK videos

GTK4 Is Here: Why You Should Even Care

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Processing and GTK)
3D
100 100%
0% 0
Development Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Javascript UI Libraries
100 100%
0% 0
Rapid Application Development

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Processing and GTK

Processing Reviews

We have no reviews of Processing yet.
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GTK Reviews

Best GUI frameworks for Go
The go-gtk package is a Go binding for the GTK toolkit. The package enables Go developers to use the GTK library in Go with similar features as the GTK library. The package is performant, well-documented, and actively maintained. The go-gtk package depends on the GTK library to function, and you’ll need to have GTK installed on your machine to build GUI applications in Go....

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Processing seems to be a lot more popular than GTK. While we know about 340 links to Processing, we've tracked only 6 mentions of GTK. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Processing mentions (340)

  • Processing Foundation is hiring a Processing Project Lead!
    You can learn more about the Processing software and community at processing.org, or visit the Processing4 repository, Processing website repository, and our roadmap. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • Cloth
    >web dev/gradle/java knowledge to build something like this Web dev (and not just in java) is dominated by "component integration" concerns, containing lots of structure but little content. Computation is delegated to libraries, and the problems more about complexity of integration (at build time) scaled distributed systems (at runtime). In contrast, writing a simulation is computationally intensive, so... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
  • Relax while watching bouncing particles making connections when they get closer
    See https://bleuje.com/animationsite/2024_1/ for a collection of programmatic black and white animations made with https://processing.org/ He even publishes the source code on https://github.com/Bleuje/processing-animations-code/tree/ma.... - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • Cosy Computing
    This is a nice comment and speaks to the notion that every medium has its own characteristic feel even is not "better" by some metric (e.g. Vinyl vs CDs, vs cassettes, vs live radio, vs mp3, etc.). A similar feeling of immediacy without any intervening concerns is hacking away at a Processing [https://processing.org/] sketch. In some sense it's the complete opposite of retro computing, but it engenders similar... - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
  • Want to be a software engineer? The difficulty of top down learning.
    In high school the first languages and tools I remember using were things like Turing, Processing, GreenFoot and BlueJ. All of which were learning tools, and with the exception of Turing, were Java abstractions with the main focus on graphical programming. These tools allowed me to do some pretty cool things, very quickly. These early experience are really what inspired my interest. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
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GTK mentions (6)

  • What GNOME needs to progress faster? (More contributors, money, better docs etc.)
    Wha? An example of a barebones GTK JavaScript app is right there on the front page. One click on the bindings link, will send you to the official GNOME-hosted GitLab repo for gjs, which in-turn, has links to official API documentation. Source: over 2 years ago
  • GTK 4 & JavaScript - how to start?
    I think what is lacking is a kind of introduction similar to what you have written in your post now. Myself, I am totally new to GTK. I come as a user of Gnome. All I knew until today was that to develop applications for Gnome, preferably I should use something called GTK. And I heard so much about the recent version that came out - GTK 4. So I started to look for a Getting Started tutorial for GTK 4, to build... Source: about 3 years ago
  • GTK 4 & JavaScript - how to start?
    BTW, I think the GTK team should really step up their game in terms of how to encourage new people into their ecosystem. Seeing that windows screenshot in the official tutorial makes me think I'm dealing with some old technology. Also, the official gtk.org has two separate tutorials that show very similar applications being built. Source: about 3 years ago
  • CTA: We need Web Developers to Contribute to GNOME!
    Faces of GNOME Faces of GNOME is an initiative to create something similar to People of Mozilla / Mozillians which is a directory of active, current or past GNOME Contributors. Faces of GNOME (Current Demo HERE) aims to give a space for every GNOME Contributor, GNOME Foundation Member and more. It is being designed to showcase the list of current Maintainers, People that spoke at GNOME Conferences/Events, GNOME... Source: over 3 years ago
  • Software Engineering student looking to get started developing apps on the pinephone
    My advice is to basically learn how to write GTK apps using Python. Source: over 3 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Processing and GTK, you can also consider the following products

p5.js - JS library for creating graphic and interactive experiences

Qt - Powerful, flexible and easy to use, Qt will help you not only meet your tight deadline, but also reduce the maintainable code by an astonishing percentage.

OpenFrameworks - openFrameworks

wxWidgets - wxWidgets: Cross-Platform GUI Library

TouchDesigner - TouchDesigner is a visual development platform that equips you with the tools you need to create stunning realtime projects and rich user experiences.

PyQt - Riverbank | Software | PyQt | What is PyQt?