# Iced
[](https://github.com/hecrj/iced/actions)
[][documentation]
[](https://crates.io/crates/iced)
[](https://github.com/hecrj/iced/blob/master/LICENSE)
[](https://iced.zulipchat.com)
A cross-platform GUI library for Rust focused on simplicity and type-safety.
Inspired by [Elm].
## Features
* Simple, easy-to-use, batteries-included API
* Type-safe, reactive programming model
* [Cross-platform support] (Windows, macOS, Linux, and [the Web])
* Responsive layout
* Built-in widgets (including [text inputs], [scrollables], and more!)
* Custom widget support (create your own!)
* [Debug overlay with performance metrics]
* First-class support for async actions (use futures!)
* [Modular ecosystem] split into reusable parts:
* A [renderer-agnostic native runtime] enabling integration with existing systems
* A [built-in renderer] supporting Vulkan, Metal, DX11, and DX12
* A [windowing shell]
* A [web runtime] leveraging the DOM
__Iced is currently experimental software.__ [Take a look at the roadmap],
[check out the issues], and [feel free to contribute!]
[Cross-platform support]: https://github.com/hecrj/iced/blob/master/docs/images/todos_desktop.jpg?raw=true
[the Web]: https://iced.rs/
[text inputs]: https://gfycat.com/alertcalmcrow-rust-gui
[scrollables]: https://gfycat.com/perkybaggybaboon-rust-gui
[Debug overlay with performance metrics]: https://gfycat.com/incredibledarlingbee
[Modular ecosystem]: https://github.com/hecrj/iced/blob/master/ECOSYSTEM.md
[renderer-agnostic native runtime]: https://github.com/hecrj/iced/tree/master/native
[`wgpu`]: https://github.com/gfx-rs/wgpu-rs
[built-in renderer]: https://github.com/hecrj/iced/tree/master/wgpu
[windowing shell]: https://github.com/hecrj/iced/tree/master/winit
[`dodrio`]: https://github.com/fitzgen/dodrio
[web runtime]: https://github.com/hecrj/iced/tree/master/web
[Take a look at the roadmap]: https://github.com/hecrj/iced/blob/master/ROADMAP.md
[check out the issues]: https://github.com/hecrj/iced/issues
[feel free to contribute!]: #contributing--feedback
## Installation
Add `iced` as a dependency in your `Cargo.toml`:
```toml
iced = "0.1"
```
__Iced moves fast and the `master` branch can contain breaking changes!__ If
you want to learn about a specific release, check out [the release list].
[the release list]: https://github.com/hecrj/iced/releases
## Overview
Inspired by [The Elm Architecture], Iced expects you to split user interfaces
into four different concepts:
* __State__ — the state of your application
* __Messages__ — user interactions or meaningful events that you care
about
* __View logic__ — a way to display your __state__ as widgets that
may produce __messages__ on user interaction
* __Update logic__ — a way to react to __messages__ and update your
__state__
We can build something to see how this works! Let's say we want a simple counter
that can be incremented and decremented using two buttons.
We start by modelling the __state__ of our application:
```rust
use iced::button;
struct Counter {
// The counter value
value: i32,
// The local state of the two buttons
increment_button: button::State,
decrement_button: button::State,
}
```
Next, we need to define the possible user interactions of our counter:
the button presses. These interactions are our __messages__:
```rust
#[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy)]
pub enum Message {
IncrementPressed,
DecrementPressed,
}
```
Now, let's show the actual counter by putting it all together in our
__view logic__:
```rust
use iced::{Button, Column, Text};
impl Counter {
pub fn view(&mut self) -> Column {
// We use a column: a simple vertical layout
Column::new()
.push(
// The increment button. We tell it to produce an
// `IncrementPressed` message when pressed
Button::new(&mut self.increment_button, Text::new("+"))
.on_press(Message::IncrementPressed),
)
.push(
// We show the value of the counter here
Text::new(&self.value.to_string()).size(50),
)
.push(
// The decrement button. We tell it to produce a
// `DecrementPressed` message when pressed
Button::new(&mut self.decrement_button, Text::new("-"))
.on_press(Message::DecrementPressed),
)
}
}
```
Finally, we need to be able to react to any produced __messages__ and change our
__state__ accordingly in our __update logic__:
```rust
impl Counter {
// ...
pub fn update(&mut self, message: Message) {
match message {
Message::IncrementPressed => {
self.value += 1;
}
Message::DecrementPressed => {
self.value -= 1;
}
}
}
}
```
And that's everything! We just wrote a whole user interface. Iced is now able
to:
1. Take the result of our __view logic__ and layout its widgets.
1. Process events from our system and produce __messages__ for our
__update logic__.
1. Draw the resulting user interface.
Browse the [documentation] and the [examples] to learn more!
## Implementation details
Iced was originally born as an attempt at bringing the simplicity of [Elm] and
[The Elm Architecture] into [Coffee], a 2D game engine I am working on.
The core of the library was implemented during May in [this pull request].
[The first alpha version] was eventually released as
[a renderer-agnostic GUI library]. The library did not provide a renderer and
implemented the current [tour example] on top of [`ggez`], a game library.
Since then, the focus has shifted towards providing a batteries-included,
end-user-oriented GUI library, while keeping [the ecosystem] modular:
[this pull request]: https://github.com/hecrj/coffee/pull/35
[The first alpha version]: https://github.com/hecrj/iced/tree/0.1.0-alpha
[a renderer-agnostic GUI library]: https://www.reddit.com/r/rust/comments/czzjnv/iced_a_rendereragnostic_gui_library_focused_on/
[tour example]: https://github.com/hecrj/iced/blob/master/examples/README.md#tour
[`ggez`]: https://github.com/ggez/ggez
[the ecosystem]: https://github.com/hecrj/iced/blob/master/ECOSYSTEM.md
## Contributing / Feedback
Contributions are greatly appreciated! If you want to contribute, please
read our [contributing guidelines] for more details.
Feedback is also welcome! You can open an issue or, if you want to talk,
come chat to our [Zulip server]. Moreover, you can find me (and a bunch of
awesome folks) over the `#games-and-graphics` and `#gui-and-ui` channels in
the [Rust Community Discord]. I go by `lone_scientist#9554` there.
## Sponsors
The development of Iced is sponsored by the [Cryptowatch] team at [Kraken.com]
[documentation]: https://docs.rs/iced/
[examples]: https://github.com/hecrj/iced/tree/master/examples
[Coffee]: https://github.com/hecrj/coffee
[Elm]: https://elm-lang.org/
[The Elm Architecture]: https://guide.elm-lang.org/architecture/
[the current issues]: https://github.com/hecrj/iced/issues
[contributing guidelines]: https://github.com/hecrj/iced/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md
[Zulip server]: https://iced.zulipchat.com/
[Rust Community Discord]: https://bit.ly/rust-community
[Cryptowatch]: https://cryptowat.ch/charts
[Kraken.com]: https://kraken.com/