SDK for building cross-platform desktop applications in ANSI-C for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
NAppGUI is a cross-platform C SDK designed for building portable desktop applications that run on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It provides a comprehensive set of libraries for creating graphical user interfaces, handling system events, and managing multimedia using only ANSI-C. The project solves the problem of platform fragmentation by offering a unified API that abstracts away OS-specific details, enabling developers to maintain a single codebase.
C developers and software engineers who need to create native desktop applications that must run on multiple operating systems without rewriting code for each platform.
Developers choose NAppGUI because it allows them to write desktop applications in pure C, avoiding the complexity and overhead of C++ or other languages, while still achieving true native performance and appearance across Windows, macOS, and Linux.
SDK for building cross-platform desktop apps in ANSI-C
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Write once and deploy on Windows, macOS, and Linux with a single codebase, as demonstrated in the platform-specific quick start guides with CMake integration.
Uses standard C without C++ dependencies, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of compilers and avoiding language bloat, as emphasized in the project philosophy.
Provides UI elements that adhere to each operating system's design guidelines, making applications look and feel native, supported by examples like GuiHello in the demos.
Includes libraries for 2D graphics, OpenGL, and WebView integration via engines like WebKit on Linux, handling multimedia and web content embedding out of the box.
Requires installing platform-specific tools like Visual Studio, Xcode, or GTK libraries on Linux, which adds overhead compared to self-contained frameworks.
As a niche C SDK, it lacks the extensive plugins, tutorials, and community support found in more established frameworks like Qt or Electron.
Being based on ANSI-C, developers must handle memory allocation and deallocation manually, increasing the risk of errors and memory leaks in GUI applications.