OpenTUI is a library to build terminal user interfaces.
- It is written in Zig.
- You write TypeScript directly or through React and Solid.
- You arrange boxes and text with flexbox.
- You add selects, inputs, and scroll boxes with keyboard and mouse controls.
- You can play sounds, show images, and render 3D graphics.
OpenCode uses OpenTUI in production for millions of users.
[Website](https://opentui.com) | [Documentation](https://opentui.com/docs) | [Packages](https://opentui.com/packages)
## OpenTUI Core
`@opentui/core` supplies the renderer and TypeScript API. You use imperative renderables and events directly. The
TypeScript packages call native Zig through an internal foreign function interface (FFI) boundary.
```typescript
import { TextRenderable, createCliRenderer } from "@opentui/core"
const renderer = await createCliRenderer({ exitOnCtrlC: true })
renderer.root.add(new TextRenderable(renderer, { content: "Hello, OpenTUI!" }))
```
`exitOnCtrlC: true` calls `renderer.destroy()` when the user presses Ctrl+C. The code that creates the renderer must
call `renderer.destroy()` on every other shutdown path.
Install the package:
```bash
bun add @opentui/core
```
Then build your first app with the [quickstart](https://opentui.com/docs/getting-started/quickstart).
## Runtime and platform support
`@opentui/core` runs on Bun 1.3.0 or later, or on Node.js 26.4.0 or later with ECMAScript modules (ESM) and
`--experimental-ffi`.
The native ABI and the generated platform packages, such as `@opentui/core-linux-x64`, are internal distribution
surfaces, not application APIs.
## AI agent skill
Install the OpenTUI documentation as a skill for your AI coding assistant with [`npx skills`](https://skills.sh):
```bash
npx skills add anomalyco/opentui --skill opentui
```
Add `-g` to install the skill globally.
## License
OpenTUI is licensed under the [MIT License](https://github.com/anomalyco/opentui/blob/main/LICENSE).
