Case Study: fman achieves faster cross-platform file management with Qt

Fman the Cross-Platform Dual-Pane File Manager that Makes You Faster Built with Qt and Python

fman is a cross-platform, dual-pane file manager built to help users work faster than with traditional tools like Explorer or Finder. To create a high-performance, keyboard-driven app with strong portability and a dark, customizable interface, the team needed a GUI framework that could support a Python-based desktop application across Windows and macOS.

fman chose Qt and Qt for Python to build the application, citing its performance, documentation, Model/View framework, and cross-platform support. With Qt, Michael Herrmann was able to build the first prototype in just 126 lines of code, launch on OS X first, and release a Windows version only a month later; he also open-sourced the build system to help others save development time.

fman

Michael Herrmann

Creator