README
ZigZag
A TUI framework for Zig.
Features · How it works · Quick start · Components · Examples · Reference
ZigZag brings typed Model-Update-View applications, rich styling, flexible layout, and 40+ components to the terminal with no third-party dependencies.
Features
| Capability | Highlights |
|---|---|
| Architecture | Typed Model-Update-View, commands, async tasks, sub-programs |
| Components | 40+ inputs, tables, lists, charts, forms, and overlays |
| Styling | ANSI, 256-color, TrueColor, adaptive themes, borders, and text overflow |
| Layout | Placement, Flexbox constraints, split panes, and layered composition |
| Terminal support | Keyboard, mouse, clipboard, images, suspend/resume |
| Performance | Diff rendering, ANSI compression, and virtual lists |
How it works
Events update the model, then view renders the next terminal frame.
flowchart LR
E["Input · timer · async"] --> U["update"]
U --> M["Model"]
M --> V["view"]
V --> T["Terminal"]
U --> C["Command"]
C --> E
Quick start
Requires Zig 0.16.0 or newer.
zig fetch --save git+https://github.com/meszmate/zigzag#main
const zigzag = b.dependency("zigzag", .{
.target = target,
.optimize = optimize,
});
exe.root_module.addImport("zigzag", zigzag.module("zigzag"));
Start with the counter example.
Components
| Category | Includes |
|---|---|
| Input and forms | Text input, text area, checkbox, radio group, slider, dropdown, form, file picker, stepper |
| Data and navigation | List, virtual list, table, sortable table, data table, tree, tabs, breadcrumbs, screen stacks |
| Visualization | Progress, spinner, gauge, sparkline, chart, bar chart, heatmap, canvas, Braille canvas |
| Overlays and feedback | Modal, confirmation, tooltip, notification, toast, context menu, command palette |
| Content and tooling | Markdown, code view, diff view, rich log, status bar, help, developer console |
Examples
| Demo | Run |
|---|---|
| Showcase | zig build run-showcase |
| Dashboard | zig build run-dashboard |
| File browser | zig build run-file_browser |
| WebAssembly | zig build run-wasm_app |
Documentation
Reference · Examples · Contributing
Projects using ZigZag
- zmenu, a simple Zig application launcher for GNU/Linux
Star ZigZag ⭐
If ZigZag helps you build a terminal application, consider starring the repository. Stars help other Zig developers discover the project, show that the framework is useful, and motivate continued work on components, terminal support, and documentation.
License
Contributors
Similar repos
Languages
Zig
100.0%
README
ZigZag
A TUI framework for Zig.
Features · How it works · Quick start · Components · Examples · Reference
ZigZag brings typed Model-Update-View applications, rich styling, flexible layout, and 40+ components to the terminal with no third-party dependencies.
Features
| Capability | Highlights |
|---|---|
| Architecture | Typed Model-Update-View, commands, async tasks, sub-programs |
| Components | 40+ inputs, tables, lists, charts, forms, and overlays |
| Styling | ANSI, 256-color, TrueColor, adaptive themes, borders, and text overflow |
| Layout | Placement, Flexbox constraints, split panes, and layered composition |
| Terminal support | Keyboard, mouse, clipboard, images, suspend/resume |
| Performance | Diff rendering, ANSI compression, and virtual lists |
How it works
Events update the model, then view renders the next terminal frame.
flowchart LR
E["Input · timer · async"] --> U["update"]
U --> M["Model"]
M --> V["view"]
V --> T["Terminal"]
U --> C["Command"]
C --> E
Quick start
Requires Zig 0.16.0 or newer.
zig fetch --save git+https://github.com/meszmate/zigzag#main
const zigzag = b.dependency("zigzag", .{
.target = target,
.optimize = optimize,
});
exe.root_module.addImport("zigzag", zigzag.module("zigzag"));
Start with the counter example.
Components
| Category | Includes |
|---|---|
| Input and forms | Text input, text area, checkbox, radio group, slider, dropdown, form, file picker, stepper |
| Data and navigation | List, virtual list, table, sortable table, data table, tree, tabs, breadcrumbs, screen stacks |
| Visualization | Progress, spinner, gauge, sparkline, chart, bar chart, heatmap, canvas, Braille canvas |
| Overlays and feedback | Modal, confirmation, tooltip, notification, toast, context menu, command palette |
| Content and tooling | Markdown, code view, diff view, rich log, status bar, help, developer console |
Examples
| Demo | Run |
|---|---|
| Showcase | zig build run-showcase |
| Dashboard | zig build run-dashboard |
| File browser | zig build run-file_browser |
| WebAssembly | zig build run-wasm_app |
Documentation
Reference · Examples · Contributing
Projects using ZigZag
- zmenu, a simple Zig application launcher for GNU/Linux
Star ZigZag ⭐
If ZigZag helps you build a terminal application, consider starring the repository. Stars help other Zig developers discover the project, show that the framework is useful, and motivate continued work on components, terminal support, and documentation.
License
Similar repos
Contributors
Languages
Zig
100.0%