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. |
| Tcell | Low-level Go package for portable terminal screen handling and input |
| PTerm | Go library for styled output, progress displays, and interactive prompts |
| Huh? | Go library for elegant, accessible interactive forms and prompts |
| Cobra | Library for creating powerful modern CLI applications |
| Bubbles | Reusable components for composing polished Bubble Tea applications |
| go-tui | Declarative toolkit for building interactive terminal applications |
| cview | Terminal-based user interface toolkit (fork of tview) |
| gotui | Modern Go library for creating rich interactive terminal interfaces |
| Phoenix | High-performance toolkit for building responsive terminal interfaces |
| Lip Gloss | Style definitions for nice terminal layouts |
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 Explore our carefully curated directory of recommended free and open source software, covering every major software category.The directory forms part of our extensive collection of articles for Linux enthusiasts. It includes hundreds of detailed reviews, together with free and open source alternatives to proprietary software from companies such as Google, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, IBM, Cisco, Oracle, and Autodesk. LinuxLinks also covers interesting projects worth exploring, Linux-compatible hardware, free programming books and tutorials, and much more. Know a useful free and open source Linux application that we haven’t covered? Tell us about it using our submission form. |
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