Original author(s) | Tecgraf/PUC-Rio in collaboration with Petrobras |
---|---|
Stable release | 3.30 / 30 July 2020 |
Operating system | Cross-platform |
Type | Software development kit |
License | MIT |
Website | www |
The IUP Portable User Interface is a computer software development kit that provides a portable, scriptable toolkit to build graphical user interfaces (GUIs) using the programming languages C, Perl, Lua, Nim and Zig , among others. This allows rapid, zero-compile prototyping and refinement of deployable GUI applications.
IUP's purpose is to allow programs user interface to run in different systems in unmodified form. [1]
It provides this ability by binding Lua with its C/C++ code, or simply writing C to the application programming interface (API). It handles user interface elements by using native controls provided by native APIs, such as Windows API in Windows, GTK+ in Linux, and Motif-LessTif in older Unices. It also provides some custom developed controls using graphics APIs such as CD - Canvas Draw or OpenGL.
IUP's distinguishing features include:
The Lua scripting is done by binding Lua and IUPLua in (at least) a small C program called a host application. This program creates a Lua state, passes the Lua state to IUPLua for initialization, and then opens and executes a Lua script against the Lua state. Or, the entire IUP state can be dynamically loaded via use of a Lua require
or package.loadlib
of IUPLua.
The script(s) can later be compiled with the Lua compiler if needed.
Support for UTF-8 was added to the Windows target in November 2013 with the release of version 3.9.
IUP is liberally-licensed for free use, modification, sale, and redistribution under the MIT license. [2]
IUP has been in development at least since the 1.8 version issued in 1998. It was begun in collaboration with Petrobras.
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