OSUI Crate Structure

The osui library is organized into several modules, each responsible for a distinct aspect of TUI development. Understanding this structure helps in navigating the codebase and locating relevant functionalities.

Top-Level Modules

The osui crate is composed of the following main modules:

• component: Defines the core component system, including Context (for component state and lifecycle), Scope (for child management), and the ComponentImpl trait.
• engine: Provides the rendering engine trait (Engine), command execution system (CommandExecutor), and concrete engine implementations like Console (for crossterm) and Benchmark.
• frontend: Implements the RSX (React-like Syntax) system, including the Rsx struct and ToRsx trait, which bridges the rsx! macro output to the rendering pipeline.
• render: Contains low-level rendering primitives such as DrawContext, DrawInstruction, Point, Area, and Size. This module defines what gets drawn.
• state: Offers React-like hooks for managing component state (use_state), side effects (use_effect), and component lifecycle (use_mount, use_mount_manual).

prelude Module

The osui::prelude module re-exports the most commonly used items from all sub-modules. It's recommended to use osui::prelude::*; in your application to easily access essential types and macros without verbose imports.

pub mod prelude {
    pub use crate::component::{context::*, scope::*, *};
    pub use crate::engine::*;
    pub use crate::frontend::*;
    pub use crate::render::*;
    pub use crate::state::*;
    pub use crate::{sleep, Error, Result, View, ViewWrapper};
    pub use crossterm;
    pub use osui_macros::{component, rsx};
    pub use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex};
}

OSUI Core Types

Beyond the modules, lib.rs also defines some fundamental type aliases and error handling:

• View: Arc<dyn Fn(&mut DrawContext) + Send + Sync>. Represents a renderable unit, essentially a closure that takes a DrawContext and adds drawing instructions.
• ViewWrapper: Arc<dyn Fn(&mut DrawContext, View) + Send + Sync>. A higher-order view that can wrap and modify how another View is rendered (e.g., for applying layout or styling).
• Result<T>: std::result::Result<T, Error>. The standard result type for OSUI operations.
• Error: An enum defining OSUI-specific errors, currently including PoisonError for mutex poisoning.
• sleep(delay_ms: u64): A utility function for pausing execution for a specified duration.

This structured approach helps keep the library organized and maintainable, allowing developers to quickly understand where to find the tools they need.

Next: Dive into the details of the Component API.