Glimmer DSL for LibUI 0.4.21

Prerequisite-Free Ruby Desktop Development GUI Library

Glimmer DSL for LibUI is a prerequisite-free MRI Ruby desktop development GUI (Graphical User Interface) library. No need to pre-install any prerequisites. Just install the gem and have platform-independent native GUI that just works!

Mac	Windows	Linux

LibUI is a thin Ruby wrapper around libui, a relatively new C GUI library that renders native controls on every platform (similar to SWT, but without the heavy weight of the Java Virtual Machine).

The main trade-off in using Glimmer DSL for LibUI as opposed to Glimmer DSL for SWT or Glimmer DSL for Tk is the fact that SWT and Tk are more mature than mid-alpha libui as GUI toolkits. Still, if there is only a need to build a small simple application, Glimmer DSL for LibUI could be a good convenient choice due to having zero prerequisites beyond the dependencies included in the Ruby gem. Also, just like Glimmer DSL for Tk, its apps start instantly and have a small memory footprint. LibUI is a promising new GUI toolkit that might prove quite worthy in the future.

Glimmer DSL for LibUI aims to provide a DSL similar to the Glimmer DSL for SWT to enable more productive desktop development in Ruby with:

Declarative DSL syntax that visually maps to the GUI control hierarchy
Convention over configuration via smart defaults and automation of low-level details
Requiring the least amount of syntax possible to build GUI
Custom Keyword support
Bidirectional/Unidirectional Data-Binding to declaratively wire and automatically synchronize GUI Views with Models

Hello, World!

require 'glimmer-dsl-libui'

include Glimmer

window('hello world').show

Mac	Windows	Linux

Basic Table Progress Bar

require 'glimmer-dsl-libui'

include Glimmer

data = [
  ['task 1', 0],
  ['task 2', 15],
  ['task 3', 100],
  ['task 4', 75],
  ['task 5', -1],
]

window('Task Progress', 300, 200) {
  vertical_box {
    table {
      text_column('Task')
      progress_bar_column('Progress')

      cell_rows data # implicit data-binding
    }
    
    button('Mark All As Done') {
      stretchy false
      
      on_clicked do
        data.each_with_index do |row_data, row|
          data[row][1] = 100 # automatically updates table due to implicit data-binding
        end
      end
    }
  }
}.show

Mac	Windows	Linux

Form Table

require 'glimmer-dsl-libui'

class FormTable
  Contact = Struct.new(:name, :email, :phone, :city, :state)
  
  include Glimmer
  
  attr_accessor :contacts, :name, :email, :phone, :city, :state, :filter_value
  
  def initialize
    @contacts = [
      Contact.new('Lisa Sky', 'lisa@sky.com', '720-523-4329', 'Denver', 'CO'),
      Contact.new('Jordan Biggins', 'jordan@biggins.com', '617-528-5399', 'Boston', 'MA'),
      Contact.new('Mary Glass', 'mary@glass.com', '847-589-8788', 'Elk Grove Village', 'IL'),
      Contact.new('Darren McGrath', 'darren@mcgrath.com', '206-539-9283', 'Seattle', 'WA'),
      Contact.new('Melody Hanheimer', 'melody@hanheimer.com', '213-493-8274', 'Los Angeles', 'CA'),
    ]
  end
  
  def launch
    window('Contacts', 600, 600) {
      margined true
      
      vertical_box {
        form {
          stretchy false
          
          entry {
            label 'Name'
            text <=> [self, :name] # bidirectional data-binding between entry text and self.name
          }
          
          entry {
            label 'Email'
            text <=> [self, :email]
          }
          
          entry {
            label 'Phone'
            text <=> [self, :phone]
          }
          
          entry {
            label 'City'
            text <=> [self, :city]
          }
          
          entry {
            label 'State'
            text <=> [self, :state]
          }
        }
        
        button('Save Contact') {
          stretchy false
          
          on_clicked do
            new_row = [name, email, phone, city, state]
            if new_row.map(&:to_s).include?('')
              msg_box_error('Validation Error!', 'All fields are required! Please make sure to enter a value for all fields.')
            else
              @contacts << Contact.new(*new_row) # automatically inserts a row into the table due to explicit data-binding
              @unfiltered_contacts = @contacts.dup
              self.name = '' # automatically clears name entry through explicit data-binding
              self.email = ''
              self.phone = ''
              self.city = ''
              self.state = ''
            end
          end
        }
        
        search_entry {
          stretchy false
          # bidirectional data-binding of text to self.filter_value with after_write option
          text <=> [self, :filter_value,
            after_write: ->(filter_value) { # execute after write to self.filter_value
              @unfiltered_contacts ||= @contacts.dup
              # Unfilter first to remove any previous filters
              self.contacts = @unfiltered_contacts.dup # affects table indirectly through explicit data-binding
              # Now, apply filter if entered
              unless filter_value.empty?
                self.contacts = @contacts.filter do |contact| # affects table indirectly through explicit data-binding
                  contact.members.any? do |attribute|
                    contact[attribute].to_s.downcase.include?(filter_value.downcase)
                  end
                end
              end
            }
          ]
        }
        
        table {
          text_column('Name')
          text_column('Email')
          text_column('Phone')
          text_column('City')
          text_column('State')
    
          editable true
          cell_rows <=> [self, :contacts] # explicit data-binding to self.contacts Modal Array, auto-inferring model attribute names from underscored table column names by convention
          
          on_changed do |row, type, row_data|
            puts "Row #{row} #{type}: #{row_data}"
            $stdout.flush # for Windows
          end
          
          on_edited do |row, row_data| # only fires on direct table editing
            puts "Row #{row} edited: #{row_data}"
            $stdout.flush # for Windows
          end
        }
      }
    }.show
  end
end

FormTable.new.launch

Mac	Windows	Linux

Area Gallery

require 'glimmer-dsl-libui'

include Glimmer

window('Area Gallery', 400, 400) {
  area {
    path { # declarative stable path (explicit path syntax for multiple shapes sharing attributes)
      square(0, 0, 100)
      square(100, 100, 400)
      
      fill r: 102, g: 102, b: 204
    }
    
    path { # declarative stable path (explicit path syntax for multiple shapes sharing attributes)
      rectangle(0, 100, 100, 400)
      rectangle(100, 0, 400, 100)
      
      # linear gradient (has x0, y0, x1, y1, and stops)
      fill x0: 10, y0: 10, x1: 350, y1: 350, stops: [{pos: 0.25, r: 204, g: 102, b: 204}, {pos: 0.75, r: 102, g: 102, b: 204}]
    }
    
    polygon(100, 100, 100, 400, 400, 100, 400, 400) { # declarative stable path (implicit path syntax for a single shape nested directly under area)
      fill r: 202, g: 102, b: 104, a: 0.5
      stroke r: 0, g: 0, b: 0
    }
    
    polybezier(0, 0,
               200, 100, 100, 200, 400, 100,
               300, 100, 100, 300, 100, 400,
               100, 300, 300, 100, 400, 400) { # declarative stable path (implicit path syntax for a single shape nested directly under area)
      fill r: 202, g: 102, b: 204, a: 0.5
      stroke r: 0, g: 0, b: 0, thickness: 2, dashes: [50, 10, 10, 10], dash_phase: -50.0
    }
    
    polyline(100, 100, 400, 100, 100, 400, 400, 400, 0, 0) { # declarative stable path (implicit path syntax for a single shape nested directly under area)
      stroke r: 0, g: 0, b: 0, thickness: 2
    }
    
    arc(404, 216, 190, 90, 90, false) { # declarative stable path (implicit path syntax for a single shape nested directly under area)
      # radial gradient (has an outer_radius in addition to x0, y0, x1, y1, and stops)
      fill outer_radius: 90, x0: 0, y0: 0, x1: 500, y1: 500, stops: [{pos: 0.25, r: 102, g: 102, b: 204, a: 0.5}, {pos: 0.75, r: 204, g: 102, b: 204}]
      stroke r: 0, g: 0, b: 0, thickness: 2, dashes: [50, 10, 10, 10], dash_phase: -50.0
    }
    
    circle(200, 200, 90) { # declarative stable path (implicit path syntax for a single shape nested directly under area)
      fill r: 202, g: 102, b: 204, a: 0.5
      stroke r: 0, g: 0, b: 0, thickness: 2
    }
    
    text(161, 40, 100) { # declarative stable text
      string('Area Gallery') {
        font family: 'Arial', size: (OS.mac? ? 14 : 11)
        color :black
      }
    }
    
    on_mouse_event do |area_mouse_event|
      p area_mouse_event
    end
    
    on_mouse_moved do |area_mouse_event|
      puts 'moved'
    end
    
    on_mouse_down do |area_mouse_event|
      puts 'mouse down'
    end
    
    on_mouse_up do |area_mouse_event|
      puts 'mouse up'
    end
    
    on_mouse_drag_started do |area_mouse_event|
      puts 'drag started'
    end
    
    on_mouse_dragged do |area_mouse_event|
      puts 'dragged'
    end
    
    on_mouse_dropped do |area_mouse_event|
      puts 'dropped'
    end
    
    on_mouse_entered do
      puts 'entered'
    end
    
    on_mouse_exited do
      puts 'exited'
    end
    
    on_key_event do |area_key_event|
      p area_key_event
    end
    
    on_key_up do |area_key_event|
      puts 'key up'
    end
    
    on_key_down do |area_key_event|
      puts 'key down'
    end
  }
}.show