A Text-based User Interface (TUI) provides a structured way to engage with a computer through text characters. Unlike a basic Command-Line Interface (CLI), a TUI utilizes the entire screen, incorporating menus, panels, and colors for better visual organization. While it still relies on keyboard input and text, it enhances the user experience by creating a more advanced terminal setting that connects the simplicity of commands with the richness of graphical interfaces (GUIs).
The software featured in this roundup helps developers create TUI programs. There is a diverse range of programs included, mostly best described as frameworks. All of the software is written in the Go language. Go is a versatile, high-level programming language that combines the benefits of being statically-typed and compiled. Its syntax is notably simple, which allows for efficient development. Additionally, Go comes with an extensive standard library that caters to many common project needs, making it a great choice for a wide range of applications.
Here’s our verdict captured in a legendary LinuxLinks-style ratings chart. Only free and open source software is eligible for inclusion.
Click the links in the table below to learn more about each tool.
| Go TUI Frameworks | |
|---|---|
| termui | Golang terminal dashboard |
| Bubble Tea | Fun, functional and stateful way to build terminal apps |
| tview | Terminal UI library with rich, interactive widgets |
| gocui | Minimalist Go package aimed at creating Console User Interfaces. |
| Cobra | Library for creating powerful modern CLI applications |
| cview | Terminal-based user interface toolkit (fork of tview) |
| Lip Gloss | Style definitions for nice terminal layouts |
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