XFrames - cross-platform DOM-free GUI development for the desktop and the browser
XFrames is a high-performance library that empowers developers to build native desktop applications using whichever programming language they are familiar with, without the overhead of the DOM. XFrames was originally conceived as a streamlined alternative to Electron, designed for developers looking to maximize performance and efficiency.
Key Features
- DOM-free rendering: Bypasses the traditional DOM, providing a faster, more lightweight environment for GUI development.
- Cross-platform support: Easily create applications for multiple platforms, including the browser through WebAssembly, while maintaining a native feel.
- Advanced layout capabilities: Leverage the power and flexibility of Yoga layouts.
Getting started
Node.js
At the moment the easiest way to get started on Node.js is to run
npx create-xframes-node-app
Enter a name for your project then wait until source files and dependencies are installed, then
You should see the following:
FAQs
Please refer to our project website's FAQ.
Core Technologies
Please refer to the 'technologies used' section of our project website.
Roadmap
XFrames is actively maintained with planned features and enhancements. The focus at the moment is to add support for more widgets and programming languages.
Supported platforms
Node-API v9
| Architecture |
OS |
Notes |
| wasm32-emscripten |
N/A |
Works in browsers that support WebGPU rendering |
| x64-windows |
Windows 11 Home |
Works |
| x64-linux |
WSL2 (Ubuntu) 24.04.1 LTS |
Works by setting export GALLIUM_DRIVER=d3d12 |
| x64-linux |
Debian Trixie |
Works |
| x64-linux |
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS |
Works |
| x64-linux |
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS |
Works |
| arm64-linux |
Raspberry Pi OS (Debian bookworm) Oct 2024 |
Works, though there are stricter limits with custom fonts loading |
| riscv64-linux |
Debian Trixie on Docker (emulated) |
Compiles successfully, yet to be tested on real hardware |
Java
XFrames for Java
| Architecture |
OS |
Notes |
| x64-windows |
Windows 11 Home |
Works |
Kotlin
XFrames for Kotlin
| Architecture |
OS |
Notes |
| x64-windows |
Windows 11 Home |
Works |
Scala
XFrames for Scala
| Architecture |
OS |
Notes |
| x64-windows |
Windows 11 Home |
Works |
F#
XFrames for F#
| Architecture |
OS |
Notes |
| x64-windows |
Windows 11 Home |
Works |
| x64-linux |
Debian Trixie |
Works |
C#
XFrames for C#
| Architecture |
OS |
Notes |
| x64-windows |
Windows 11 Home |
Works |
| x64-linux |
Debian Trixie |
Works |
Python
XFrames for Python
| Architecture |
OS |
Notes |
| x64-linux |
Ubuntu 24.04.1 |
Works |
Rust
XFrames for Rust
| Architecture |
OS |
Notes |
| x64-linux |
Ubuntu 24.04.1 |
Works, but please refer to the README |
Ada
XFrames for Ada
| Architecture |
OS |
Notes |
| x64-windows |
Windows 11 Home |
Works |
| arm64-linux |
Raspberry Pi OS (Debian bookworm) Oct 2024 |
Works |
Lua
XFrames for Lua
| Architecture |
OS |
Notes |
| x64-windows |
Windows 11 Home |
Works |
| arm64-linux |
Raspberry Pi OS (Debian bookworm) Oct 2024 |
Works |
Fortran
XFrames for Fortran
| Architecture |
OS |
Notes |
| x64-windows |
Windows 11 Home |
Works |
| x64-linux |
Debian Trixie |
Works (gcc v14) |
OCaml
XFrames for OCaml
| Architecture |
OS |
Notes |
| x64-windows |
Windows 11 Home |
Works |
| x64-linux |
Debian Trixie |
Works |
| arm64-linux |
Raspberry Pi OS (Debian bookworm) Oct 2024 |
Works |
Crystal
XFrames for Crystal
| Architecture |
OS |
Notes |
| x64-windows |
Windows 11 Home |
Works |
| x64-linux |
Ubuntu 24.04.1 |
Works |
D
XFrames for D
| Architecture |
OS |
Notes |
| x64-windows |
Windows 11 Home |
Works |
| x64-linux |
Ubuntu 24.04.1 |
Works |
| arm64-linux |
Raspberry Pi OS (Debian bookworm) Oct 2024 |
Works |
Ruby
XFrames for Ruby
| Architecture |
OS |
Notes |
| x64-windows |
Windows 11 |
Works |
| x64-linux |
Ubuntu 24.04.1 |
Works |
| arm64-linux |
Raspberry Pi OS (Debian bookworm) Oct 2024 |
Works |
Gnu Step
XFrames for Gnu Step
| Architecture |
OS |
Notes |
| x64-linux |
Ubuntu 24.04 |
Works |
| arm64-linux |
Raspberry Pi OS (Debian bookworm) Oct 2024 |
Works |
Gnu Smalltalk
XFrames for Gnu Smalltalk
| Architecture |
OS |
Notes |
| x64-linux |
WSL2 (Ubuntu) 24.04.1 LTS |
Works |
| x64-linux |
Ubuntu 24.04 |
Works |
| arm64-linux |
Raspberry Pi OS (Debian bookworm) Oct 2024 |
Works |
Swift
XFrames for Swift
| Architecture |
OS |
Notes |
| x64-windows |
Windows 11 Home |
Works |
| x64-linux |
Ubuntu 24.04 |
Works |
| arm64-linux |
Raspberry Pi OS (Debian bookworm) Oct 2024 |
Works |
Julia
XFrames for Julia
| Architecture |
OS |
Notes |
| x64-windows |
Windows 11 |
Works |
| x64-linux |
Ubuntu 24.04 |
Works |
| arm64-linux |
Raspberry Pi OS (Debian bookworm) Oct 2024 |
Works |
Nim
XFrames for Nim
| Architecture |
OS |
Notes |
| x64-windows |
Windows 11 Home |
Works |
| x64-linux |
Ubuntu 24.04 |
Works |
| arm64-linux |
Raspberry Pi OS (Debian bookworm) Oct 2024 |
Works |
Zig
XFrames for Zig
| Architecture |
OS |
Notes |
| x64-windows |
Windows 11 Home |
Works |
| x64-linux |
Ubuntu 24.04 |
Works |
Racket
XFrames for Racket
| Architecture |
OS |
Notes |
| x64-windows |
Windows 11 Home |
Works |
| x64-linux |
Ubuntu 24.04.1 |
Works, had to build Racket from source |
| arm64-linux |
Raspberry Pi OS (Debian bookworm) Oct 2024 |
Works, had to build Racket from source |
Haskell
XFrames for Haskell
| Architecture |
OS |
Notes |
| x64-windows |
Windows 11 Home |
Works |
| x64-linux |
Ubuntu 24.04 |
Works |
| arm64-linux |
Raspberry Pi OS (Debian bookworm) Oct 2024 |
Works |
Free Pascal
XFrames for Free Pascal
| Architecture |
OS |
Notes |
| x64-windows |
Windows 11 Home |
Works |
| x64-linux |
Ubuntu 24.04.1 |
Works, but please refer to the README |
| arm64-linux |
Raspberry Pi OS (Debian bookworm) Oct 2024 |
Works |
Delphi
XFrames for Delphi
| Architecture |
OS |
Notes |
| x64-windows |
Windows 11 Home |
Works |
Factor
XFrames for Factor
| Architecture |
OS |
Notes |
| x64-linux |
Ubuntu 24.04.1 |
Works, but please refer to the README |
Accessibility
Accessibility is a key priority for the future of XFrames. While the current version lacks comprehensive accessibility support, we are committed to making XFrames an inclusive framework that provides equitable access for all users. Upcoming development will focus on implementing accessibility features and adhering to industry standards, ensuring XFrames applications can be used effectively by people with disabilities. Our goal is to create a robust, accessible platform that enables developers to build applications for diverse audiences with confidence.
Basic online WASM demo
(online demo) Only browsers that natively support WebGPU: Chrome, Edge, Firefox nightly, possibly Safari (though I have not tested it).
Screenshots
Recording.2024-10-06.134348.mp4
Building
Supported platforms
| Architecture |
OS |
Compiler |
Notes |
| wasm32-emscripten |
N/A |
emsdk 3.1.64 |
Works |
| x64-windows |
Windows 11 Home |
Visual Studio 2022 |
Works |
| x64-linux |
WSL2 Ubuntu 24.04.1 LTS |
gcc 13.2.0 |
Works |
| x64-linux |
Debian Trixie |
gcc 14 |
Works |
| x64-linux |
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS |
gcc 12.2 |
Works |
| x64-linux |
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS |
gcc 13.2 |
Works |
| arm64-linux |
Raspberry Pi OS (Debian bookworm) Oct 2024 |
gcc 12.2 |
Works |
General considerations for Ubuntu
This may seem obvious, particularly if you are an experienced Linux user/developer, so this is for the avoidance of the doubt: building xframes on Ubuntu 24.04 means that the generated binary extension will run on Ubuntu 24.04 but not on Ubuntu 22.04 (or older). As part of doing our tests, the binary extension generated using Ubuntu 22.04 did work fine on Ubuntu 24.04. Moving forward, we'll try to build it on even earlier versions of Ubuntu, i.e. 20.04
Contributing
We welcome contributions! If you're interested in helping develop xframes, please get in touch and I'll help you get started.
Contributors
Thanks goes to these wonderful people (emoji key):
This project follows the all-contributors specification. Contributions of any kind welcome!
Star history