Choosing the Right Rust GUI Library for Your Next Project

Overview of Rust GUI Libraries

Rust has been gaining popularity due to its flexibility and vibrant open-source community. When it comes to building graphical user interfaces (GUIs), Rust offers a wide range of libraries and frameworks to choose from. In this section, we’ll explore some of the most popular Rust GUI libraries, their features, and use cases.

• Tauri
• Druid
• Xilem
• Slint
• gtk-rs
• fltk-rs
• iced
• relm
• Azul
• egui
• Yew

Each library has its strengths and weaknesses, and choosing the right one for your project depends on several factors, including your project’s requirements, your team’s experience, and the desired level of customization.

Tauri: A Lightweight and Flexible Option

Tauri is an open-source package that enables developers to create lightweight, web-based desktop applications using Rust. It leverages JavaScript, WebAssembly, and other web technologies to create a seamless development experience. Tauri provides a simple API for creating and customizing desktop applications, making it easy to build cross-platform applications that run on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

use tauri::{Builder, Runtime};
use tauri::Window;

fn main() {
    Builder::new("my_app")
        .build()
        .expect("failed to build app")
        .run(|app_handle| {
            let window = Window::new(app_handle, "my_window").unwrap();
            window.set_title("My Tauri App").unwrap();
        });
}

Druid: A Powerful and Flexible Layout System

Druid is a powerful and flexible Rust library for building GUIs for desktop applications. One of its key features is its layout system, which allows for an easy and intuitive widget layout based on constraints. Druid also provides a wide range of built-in widgets, including buttons, labels, and text inputs, that can be used to customize the look and feel of your application.

use druid::{
    kurbo::{BezPath, Point},
    widget::{Button, Flex},
    AppLauncher, LocalizedString, PlatformError, Widget, WindowDesc,
};

fn main() -> Result<(), PlatformError> {
    let window = WindowDesc::new(Flex::column())
        .title(LocalizedString::new("my-window-title"))
        .with_min_size((400.0, 600.0));
    let launcher = AppLauncher::with_window(window);
    launcher.launch(())?;
    Ok(())
}

Xilem: An Experimental UI Library with a Focus on Performance

Xilem is an experimental Rust UI library inspired by popular UI libraries such as SwiftUI, Flutter, and Elm. Its development principle revolves around performance and organization. Xilem is lightweight and efficient because it emphasizes minimal updates and uses a centralized state control with a state manager that simplifies data handling while offering predictable updates.

Slint: A Comprehensive and Customizable UI Framework

Slint is an open-source, Rust-based UI framework for building native user interfaces. It provides a comprehensive yet simple solution for building applications for embedded devices, microcontrollers, and desktops. Slint supports multiple programming languages, including Rust, C++, and JavaScript, and comes with a wide variety of prebuilt UI components that can be customized to suit your needs.