GUI Building

[Bocaj]

How do most SFML users build a GUI?  Do they use some external GUI library, like Qt, or just use shapes and text, and wait for the user to click on them?

[eXpl0it3r]

It completly depends on the size and needs for a GUI.
Qt is a good solution, if you don't want elements overlay the rendering section (e.g. no in game GUI). If you have just a few buttons then you most likely will write a small class on your own, otherwise if you want to use quite a few diffrent things (labels, buttons, slider, windows, etc.) then you most likly want to take a look at librarys explcitly build for SFML, like SFGUI or TGUI, or use some more generic libraries like libRocket or GWEN, for which you'll have to write your own little SFML renderer (except GWEN has one already).

[Bocaj]

If I were to make my own GUI system, should I use shapes and text for labels, buttons, slider, windows, etc.?  Or is there some better way?

[eXpl0it3r]

That's completly up to you. 'Good' and 'bad' are defined only by you.
The BREW renderer of SFGUI uses only shapes, lines and texts for rendering their GUI. This of course has its downside that you can't have nicely polished GUI elements. So use whatever makes more sense to you and is easier to implement while still fitting your needs.