GLFW VS imgui

Why would any software developer use an API? Well, it's not to get rid of that shirt stain you had for the last three days that's for sure. Instead, we crazy bunch use APIs to progress our software development at a faster rate. I don't really want to work with the Windows API nor do I care to open the rotten can of sardines that is the X11 API. But, thankfully, I don't have to. There are plenty of APIs that handle that for me. And they handle it very nicely too. GLFW is one of these APIs. Easy to use, fast to set up, and overall doesn't have any overhead. Handles window creation, input, and any operating system-specific stuff. It solves a clear and appropriate problem. Left pad, however, is the complete opposite. Does it solve a problem? Sure it does... if you were hit on the head with a baseball bat 17 times. Can't I at least add padding to any direction? No? Does it just have to be the left? Even though we C++ folks can say that the JavaScript weirdos are the only ones who would do such a heinous thing, that wouldn't be the entire story. It would be hypocritical even to assume that all of the useless APIs exist only in the JS ecosystem. Although being hypocritical is my strong point, even I would stop you right there. If there is an ecosystem that would be perfect for breeding unnecessarily complex, widely inefficient, and completely useless libraries, it would be C++... Rust would come at a close second but C++ is the mother of all useless and complex libraries.

Minecraft runs on various Javas.

And there's a known issue with an interaction between minecraft, Java, and the video drivers that crashes out and it can be traced back all the way to here: https://github.com/glfw/glfw/issues/1997

It's not fixed.

Window context manager - glfw, sdl

Types of tools for creating a gui (and how those tools approximately work): 1. Utilize the native _graphical interface API_, and depending on the platform, they have specific layers to interface: * Wayland, X11, for Linux * [GDI](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/gdi/windows-gdi) for windows * [Quartz](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartz\_(graphics\_layer)) for macOS Example - GTK uses [wayland](https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gtk/-/blob/main/docs/reference/gdk/wayland.md) ([source code](https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gtk/-/tree/main/gdk/win32)) [X11](https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gtk/-/blob/main/docs/reference/gdk/x11.md) ([source code](https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gtk/-/tree/main/gdk/x11)) GDI ([source code](https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gtk/-/tree/main/gdk/win32)) Quartz ([source code](https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gtk/-/tree/main/gdk/macos)) [How to use wayland display server](https://bugaevc.gitbooks.io/writing-wayland-clients/content/black-square/the-wayland-client-library.html) (TODO missing "animation" section) 2. Utilize opengl _or other low level graphics api's_ with window context, use GPU to render widgets * Window context manager - [glfw](https://github.com/glfw/glfw), [sdl](https://www.libsdl.org/) * contexts and surfaces, reading input, handling events Example: ImGui, NanoVG, Nuklear, raylib Why? Mainly used for game development, but also good for gui's. _(i haven't seen any examples that uses this method that are used for developing general-use graphical user interfaces.)_

GLFW: A library for window creation and managing user input.

Not SDL2, but GLFW has something like that under the tests/ directory:

https://github.com/glfw/glfw/blob/master/tests/triangle-vulk...

I'm not familiar with LWJGL, my 5 seconds on their website makes me think you might be looking for something like GLFW https://www.glfw.org/ to handle I/O and window creation/management.

Consider GLFW3 for windowing and GLAD for function loading. I've used this combination myself successfully. Granted, that is "two things" you need, but OTOH it'll work well.

There is a pattern to it which is usable with every GitHub repository. For example, GLFW v3.3.8 can be fetched from: https://github.com/glfw/glfw/archive/refs/tags/3.3.8.tar.gz

Cool project! Graphics programming is _hard_ and anything to make it easier is welcome.

Maybe a dumb question, but why not Imgui (https://github.com/ocornut/imgui). "It's way too big and complex" is a completely reasonable answer, but I found it fantastic for debug menus, and there are a few applications that have used it as their _main_ GUI (Ship of Harkinian as an example).

The most well known immediate mode GUI framework, which egui is also inspired by, is Dear imgui. The egui repository also has a section on the trade offs when it comes to immediate mode GUIs, which I would definitely recommend you check out.

> "Minimize state synchronization."

> void UpdateUI()

Minimize state synchronization by effectively synchronizing state on each screen refresh?

> "Minimize state storage on user side."

> Immediate mode is a style of API where important state is kept in user code

Then reduce state stored in user code by storing "important state" in user code?

> "Minimize setup and maintenance."

I don't find the example convincing. It seems like any more complexity beyond this toy example puts you right back where you started. Building components by hand is stone age ideology regardless of how you push state.

https://github.com/ocornut/imgui/blob/master/examples/exampl...

> "Easy to use to create dynamic UI which are the reflection of a dynamic data set."

Which is great for a video game.

> I switched from C++ to C about 7 years ago and never looked back

I'm definitely considering the same, and you're right - it's not C++ itself that appeals to me at all, it's the libraries. I'm not sure what C libraries I'd use for collections (instead of the STL and Abseil [0]), or in lieu of CLI11 [1] or Dear ImGui [2].

[0] https://abseil.io/about/design/swisstables

[1] https://github.com/CLIUtils/CLI11

[2] https://github.com/ocornut/imgui

This discussion around adding shadows to window boarders in imgui is also interesting: https://github.com/ocornut/imgui/issues/1329