cpp

hqtui — C++ native demo (experimental library API)

C++17 API over the native C11 core. No JS runtime, virtual dispatch or per-cell C++ objects. Buffer and Encoder own their native objects with move-only RAII; rendered output is borrowed as std::string_view until the next encode call. Both static and shared linking work. Public APIs remain experimental.

The ten-screen native demo now renders the TypeScript reference layouts, using the C renderer plus C++ widgets and Linux collectors. All 120 screen-body reference frames match exactly on Linux. This is not a claim that every library API, OS collector or interaction is complete. Acceptance checklist.

Update and launch

curl -fsSL https://hqtui.com/demo.sh | sh -s -- --mise cpp
curl -fsSL https://hqtui.com/demo.sh | sh -s -- --system cpp

Both fetch latest main and build optimized code in a private cache. C++17 build tools (GCC/Clang) must be installed. --mise supplies CMake 4.4.3; --system uses installed CMake 3.20+. Subsequent invocations reuse the build until the revision changes. c++ is an alias for cpp.

The terminal supports Linux/macOS; live collectors require Linux. macOS defaults to explicitly labelled sample data. Use --sim for sample data, --snapshot for headless text, --screen traffic for a specific tab. Use 1–9/0 or Tab to switch, F2 for themes, F3 for process filtering, F6 for sorting, Ctrl+K for the palette and q to quit. Mouse selection/scrolling is native. The first frame does not wait for collectors. Utility subprocesses have bounded output/deadlines and are cancelled when quitting; no service is modified.

From an updated checkout: mise run demo:cpp updates before launch; mise run demo-local:cpp runs local edits. Or build directly:

cmake -S ports/cpp -B ports/cpp/build-demo -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DBUILD_TESTING=OFF
cmake --build ports/cpp/build-demo --target hqtui-demo-cpp --parallel 2
ports/cpp/build-demo/hqtui-demo-cpp

The library's new <hqtui/widgets.hpp> exposes deferred rows/columns/panels, Braille graphs, meters, gauges, tables, key/value lists and logs. Its builder uses frame-local callbacks and containers; the zero-allocation core benchmark below does not imply the complete demo performs zero allocations.

Build and check

Requires CMake 3.20+, a C11 compiler and a C++17 compiler. From the repository root:

cmake -S ports/cpp -B ports/cpp/build -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS=ON
cmake --build ports/cpp/build --parallel
ctest --test-dir ports/cpp/build --output-on-failure

Or mise run test:cpp. Python is optional for fixture tests, not a runtime dependency.

#include <hqtui.hpp>

hqtui::Buffer previous(80, 24), screen(80, 24);
hqtui::Encoder encoder;
screen.write(2, 1, "Hello, terminal.",
    hqtui::Style().foreground(hqtui::rgb(88, 166, 255)));
auto frame = encoder.encode(previous, screen, true);
// Write frame.output to your transport. No terminal is acquired implicitly.
previous.copy_from(screen);

For CMake consumers, add_subdirectory(path/to/hqtui/ports/cpp hqtui-cpp) then target_link_libraries(your_app PRIVATE hqtui::cpp). Installed consumers can use find_package(hqtui CONFIG REQUIRED) with that same imported target.

Matched benchmark

cmake -S ports/cpp -B ports/cpp/build-release -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DHQTUI_LTO=ON
cmake --build ports/cpp/build-release --parallel
bun apps/benchmark/src/compare-native-core.ts 5000 3

The runner executes identical 200×50 unchanged, sparse and full-change workloads serially through C, C++ and the actual TypeScript reference. It alternates trial order, reports median core frame times, verifies byte/changed-cell counts agree, and fails on tracked native warm-frame allocations. It excludes terminal I/O, collectors, widgets and layout; this is not an end-to-end demo benchmark.

For memory/undefined-behavior checks:

cmake -S ports/cpp -B ports/cpp/build-sanitize -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug -DHQTUI_SANITIZE=ON
cmake --build ports/cpp/build-sanitize --parallel
ctest --test-dir ports/cpp/build-sanitize --output-on-failure