Building Dynamic Terminal User Interfaces with cuia

Building Dynamic Terminal User Interfaces with cuia

Are you interested in creating interactive terminal user interfaces that are easy to use, fast, and have a small memory footprint? Look no further than cuia! In this article, we will explore cuia, a delightful tiny Python library for building reliable text-based applications.

cuia takes inspiration from Bubble Tea, a framework written in Go, and leverages the Elm architecture (TEA), named after the Elm programming language. This means that cuia applications are as dynamic and easy to write and use as they could be.

Key Features of cuia

1. Simple: Your user interface is represented as a string of characters, making it easy to understand and work with.
2. Interaction-focused: cuia puts a strong emphasis on user interaction, allowing you to create applications that respond to user input seamlessly.
3. Integration with other libraries: cuia can be easily integrated with other Python libraries, giving you the flexibility to expand the functionality of your applications.
4. Escape code sequences: cuia uses the same escape code sequences as Colorama, making it familiar to developers who have worked with Colorama before.
5. Unix compatibility: cuia has built-in support for Unix variants, utilizing the curses library. It may also work on Windows and DOS systems if a compatible curses library is available.
6. Minimal dependencies: cuia only has one dependency, cusser, which is used for wrapping the curses library.
7. Python 3.8+: cuia is compatible with Python 3.8 and above.

Getting Started with cuia

To start using cuia, you can simply install it using pip:

console
$ pip install cuia

Once installed, you can begin building your text-based applications. cuia provides a convenient and intuitive API that allows you to define your user interface, handle user input, and update the state of your application.

Here’s a basic example of how to use cuia:

“`python
import asyncio
from dataclasses import dataclass
from cuia import Program, Store

@dataclass
class Hello(Store):
x: int = 0
y: int = 0

def __str__(self):
    return f"\033[{self.x};{self.y}H\033[1mHello, 🌍!"

program = Program(Hello(34, 12))
asyncio.run(program.start())
“`

With cuia, you have the power to create dynamic and engaging terminal user interfaces. The possibilities are endless, whether you’re building command-line tools, interactive menus, or even text-based games.

Conclusion

cuia is a powerful Python library that simplifies the process of building interactive terminal user interfaces. Its simplicity, compatibility with Unix variants, and integration capabilities make it a great choice for developers looking to create text-based applications.

Start exploring the world of cuia today and elevate your text-based application development to new heights. Happy coding!

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References:
– cuia GitHub Repository: https://github.com/getcuia/cuia
– cuia Documentation: https://github.com/getcuia/cuia#readme
– Bubble Tea GitHub Repository: https://github.com/charmbracelet/bubbletea
– The Elm Architecture: https://guide.elm-lang.org/architecture/
– cusser GitHub Repository: https://github.com/getcuia/cusser