Getting started

Argui has two application entry points: Solid or React TSX through the Argui host, and Rust through argui-runtime. The TSX desktop host embeds QuickJS; the browser host runs the Rust renderer as WebAssembly in a canvas and requires WebGPU. Both use the same retained UI engine. Start with the CLI when building an application; use the repository gallery to inspect the current controls.

Prerequisites

Install Rust 1.89 or newer and Bun. On Linux, the native host also needs the build packages listed by argui doctor. A Web build needs the wasm32-unknown-unknown Rust target, wasm-pack, and wasm-opt for release optimization. argui doctor web checks the Web tools. Browser rendering requires a WebGPU capable browser and adapter; the host reports an error if it cannot acquire one.

Install the CLI

For the 0.4 release on Linux or macOS, install the verified CLI archive:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ExtraBinoss/argui/main/scripts/install-cli.sh | bash
argui doctor

The 0.4 CLI binaries must be published before this command can install them. While working from this checkout before that release, run cargo install --path crates/argui-cli --locked from the repository root. Windows installation, archive verification, path setup, and the full command reference are in the CLI guide. The generated project commands below assume the 0.4 crates have also been published; see that guide for the current source build limit.

Solid or React application

argui init solid --dir my-app --yes
cd my-app
argui check
argui dev --target native

Choose react instead of solid for React. init creates a shared TSX source for native and Web targets and runs bun install when Bun is available. Use --no-install to install dependencies later. The generated src/main.tsx exports mountGallery(bridge, expectedAbiHash); the native and Web launchers call that function with their respective bridges. For example, the Solid template renders a native rectangle and updates a signal on click:

import { createSignal } from '@argui/solid'

function App() {
  const [count, setCount] = createSignal(0)
  return <column width="100%" height="100%" padding={32} gap={16}>
    <text fontSize={30}>Hello from Argui</text>
    <rectangle width={180} height={48} background="#2563eb"
      onClick={() => setCount(count() + 1)}>
      <text color="#ffffff">{`Count: ${count()}`}</text>
    </rectangle>
  </column>
}

This is the App body from the checked-in Solid template; the generated file also creates and disposes its host. For React, the template uses useState and createRoot from @argui/react.

Build and serve the browser target from the same project:

argui doctor web
argui dev --target web
argui build release --target web

The release output is dist/web/. Serve it over HTTP; opening index.html directly as a file is not a supported WebAssembly loading path. The generated src/mount.ts also exports mountArgui(elementId) to embed the canvas in a host page. The CLI guide covers build targets, formatting, asset packs, tests, and desktop release directories.

Rust application

argui init rust --dir rust-app --yes
cd rust-app
argui dev --target native

The checked-in Rust template implements Render for a model and passes it through SingleWindowModel to run_application. It uses Context::callback for the click handler and a ThemeRuntime shared with the window environment. The Rust path does not embed a JavaScript runtime.

Explore the repository gallery

These commands are for contributors working in the Argui checkout. An app created with argui init uses the CLI commands above instead. From the repository root, after bun install:

bun run check:ts
bun run test:ts
bun run dev

Use bun run dev:react for React or bun run dev:web:solid and bun run dev:web:react for browser builds. The Web commands compile the WASM host before starting Vite. On Linux, run graphical checks through linux-hidden-display.sh and inspect a saved capture. The gallery guide describes its current pages and build loop.

Continue with CLI commands, crates and features, architecture and the host contract, layout, widgets, and desktop windows.