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IUP (software)

Computer software development kit

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IUP

Original author(s)	Tecgraf/PUC-Rio in collaboration with Petrobras
Stable release	3.31 / 13 October 2023; 8 months ago (2023-10-13)
Operating system	Cross-platform
Type	Software development kit
License	MIT
Website	www.tecgraf.puc-rio.br/iup

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.^[1] 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.^[2]

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 APIinWindows, GTK+inLinux, and Motif-LessTif in older Unices. It also provides some custom developed controls using graphics APIs such as CD - Canvas DraworOpenGL.

Features[edit]

IUP's distinguishing features include:

• ANSI C API, one of the few plain C-capable toolkits,
• Single API for WindowsorLinux,
• Built in support for Lua scripts calling IUP functions (controlled by Lua script),
• Removal of the restriction of class/instance object types, but retaining the prototype Lua-style hierarchy of inheritance.
• Anabstract layout model, in which sizes and positions are calculated from horizontal and vertical containers, rather than explicit X and Y coordinates. Coordinate-based layout is also supported with a third container type.
• Small API, on the order of about 100 functions.
• Use of an event loop-callback mechanism. This main loop can be called inside Lua.
• Interface elements are created before they are mapped to the native elements. This is the reverse of the usual situation for assembling GUI elements.
• Available as source or pre-built static or dynamic libraries for a wide variety of compilers, including turnkey example source.

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 requireorpackage.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.^[3]

License, copyright[edit]

IUP is liberally-licensed for free use, modification, sale, and redistribution under the MIT license.^[4]

IUP has been in development at least since the 1.8 version issued in 1998. It was begun in collaboration with Petrobras.

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Official website

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