Iced: A fresh and functional GUI library for Rust
A brief introduction to the project:
Say hello to Iced, a fresh and innovative project on GitHub that aims to provide a highly-modular, no strings attached GUI library purely for the under-explored Rust ecosystem. The main motivation behind Iced is to serve both major and minor projects with a comprehensive, easy-to-apply GUI (Graphical User Interface) engine that is lightweight and intensely performant.
Project Overview:
The primary goal of the Iced project is to bring area-specific versatility to the Rust ecosystem that enables efficient UI/UX creation, whether for video games, interactive applications, or complex UI systems. The immediate problem it aims to solve is the dearth of a native, simple, yet effective GUI library for Rust. Target users include Rust developers, open-source contributors, game developers, and anyone looking to render interactive graphical interfaces using the Rust language.
Project Features:
One of the unique features of Iced is that it's renderer-agnostic, i.e., it does not bind to any specific graphical backend, enhancing its accessibility and portability. It is geared toward immediate-mode widget creation, helping developers easily create and manipulate interactive UI elements. Iced also operates on a 'Pay only for what you use' principle. This means that it doesn't attach any unnecessary overheads to applications that don't require complex GUI features. For example, a developer needing to create a simple notification app won't have to bear the weight of more advanced features like a WebGL renderer.
Technology Stack:
Iced is completely built with Rust, a system-level language known for its speed, safety, and concurrent programming capabilities. The choice of Rust stems from its ability to provide high-performance computing and excellent memory management. Notable libraries include 'wgpu' for WebGPU rendering, 'glow' for OpenGL, 'raqote' for 2D graphics, and 'surfman' for off-screen rendering.
Project Structure and Architecture:
The Iced project comes with an extremely modular structure, comprising several components that work independently yet cohesively. It has separate modules for different feature sets—you can use the core library if you want something light and functionality-specific, or you could choose to add other modules like 'iced_winit', 'iced_glow', etc., depending upon your requirements. This modularity appeals to a range of application needs while maintaining coherence throughout the project.
