Forge KUI / Windows x64

A native desktop framework for HTML/CSS

KUI parses HTML/CSS, resolves DOM, styles and layout, and paints into native windows. Integrate business logic with C++, C, Go or Rust, and use optional Lua for interface logic.

Forge KUI workspace

Interface, application and tools

01

Modern web layout

Use familiar Flex, Grid, selectors, CSS variables, typography and animation. Canvas, SVG and DOM events have dedicated APIs, with individual support details in the reference.

02

Lean runtime & Lua

KUI ships its own HTML/CSS renderer, without Chromium or a system WebView. Keep business logic in the native host, and use optional Lua for interface interactions.

03

Built-in virtual components

VirtualList, ListView and TreeView are built in. Instantiate rows for the viewport and overscan, with APIs for selection, tree expansion and dynamic data changes.

04

An extensible native core

Add an editor, PDF viewer or 3D through standalone extensions. Register your own elements through a pure C ABI, with styling, events and a defined drawing lifecycle.

05

DevTools & automation

Inspect the DOM, computed styles and box model. Edit styles, debug Lua and record performance. Automation APIs and MCP connect a running app to your development tools.

06

Built for agent-assisted development

You do not need to learn KUI’s features first. Describe layout, style and actions using HTML/CSS web standards. Your agent can consult the SDK docs, handle integration and inspect the UI and interactions through DevTools/MCP.

How the interface is rendered

KUI parses HTML into a DOM, resolves CSS, computes layout and builds a display list. A Skia backend presents the result in a native window. Compiler requirements are specified by the selected SDK package. Native code controls windows, documents, events and extensions.

Scripting and Web scope

Scripting uses optional embedded Lua. KUI does not run browser JavaScript applications or target the complete Web platform. Check the limitations of each CSS value and DOM behavior. Successful parsing alone does not establish complete support.

Choose a language binding

The C++ SDK uses the native public interface. The C SDK exposes a frozen C ABI, also used by Go and Rust. Bindings have separate version lines, so core version numbers alone do not establish package compatibility. The initial website release covers Windows x64.

Extensions and tools

DevTools inspects the DOM, styles, layout and performance; MCP exposes automation operations. Deploy 3D, editor and PDF extensions according to the package. DOM element extensions and media backends use different protocols.

Forms and native code

The settings project demonstrates the division between HTML/CSS and C++: markup defines navigation, fields and status, while native code reads live values, validates data and updates the interface. The teaching project includes source, build instructions and both language variants.

The running Forge KUI settings project