Developing lightweight (no runtime) Windows based GUI applications using free tools [closed]

For quick prototyping, Autoit is a viable option (but it is a scripting language though).

Combined with Scite as an Editor, and autoit to exe capability (AutoIt3.exe in Scite and Autoit3Wrapper.exe to actually produce exe), you have a full GUI development environment.

AutohotKey is an alternative, but based on old AutoitV2.

Still, you can execute AutohotKey scripts from Autoit ;)

Run("c:\Program Files\Autohotkey\Autohotkey.exe c:\scripts\devicesset.ahk")

While interactive debugging is not natively supported, they are (2008, but in 2014: was?) several debugging tools to facilitate the debug process. (from this ticket)

Update 2014: the "AutoEditDebugger" might not be supported:

EDIT October 2009: NB This script has not been maintained since some time in 2008. Due to some problem with the editor it crashes in Vista.

Delphi is definitely a good way to go. There is a free version called Turbo Delphi.The version available is a couple of years old, so it's a shame they haven't release Turbo versions of the new stuff.

There are also trials available of the full fledged RAD Studio, but I don't think that's what you're looking for.

You can Get Turbo Delphi and Turbo C++ Builder explorer editions for free, and you can develop with them native application that you can have only .exe file without any dependencies on any windows version from (win98 to win7), both of them include more than 200 components, and you can use more (without installing to IDE that the only restriction), and you develop with them free and commercial software.

Delphi is the most RAD(Rapid Application Development) IDE that you can use to produce windows application in very easy and efficient way, you get fast developing application with fast execution time compared to speed of C++.

Another option to use Lazarus IDE, which based on FreePascal compiler, so you can have your application running on windows/linux/MacOS/Unix and more.