Pros of ImGui

• More feature-rich and actively maintained
• Extensive documentation and examples
• Wider community support and adoption

Cons of ImGui

• Larger codebase and potentially higher memory footprint
• C++ only, which may limit integration in some projects

Code Comparison

ImGui:

ImGui::Begin("My Window");
if (ImGui::Button("Click me!"))
    doSomething();
ImGui::Text("Hello, world %d", 123);
ImGui::End();

Nuklear:

if (nk_begin(ctx, "My Window", nk_rect(50, 50, 200, 200), 0))
{
    if (nk_button_label(ctx, "Click me!"))
        doSomething();
    nk_label(ctx, "Hello, world 123", NK_TEXT_LEFT);
}
nk_end(ctx);

Key Differences

• ImGui is C++ based, while Nuklear is written in C
• ImGui offers more built-in widgets and features
• Nuklear has a smaller footprint and can be easier to integrate in some cases
• ImGui has better support for custom rendering and styling
• Nuklear provides more low-level control over the UI elements

Both libraries are popular choices for immediate mode GUI development, with ImGui being more feature-rich and widely adopted, while Nuklear offers a lighter-weight alternative with C language support.

Pros of raygui

• Lightweight and easy to integrate with raylib
• Designed specifically for game development
• Supports both immediate mode and retained mode GUI

Cons of raygui

• Less feature-rich compared to Nuklear
• Limited to C programming language
• Smaller community and ecosystem

Code Comparison

raygui:

GuiButton((Rectangle){ 25, 25, 125, 30 }, "Button");
if (GuiButton((Rectangle){ 25, 60, 125, 30 }, "Click me!")) {
    // Handle button click
}

Nuklear:

if (nk_button_label(ctx, "Button")) {
    // Handle button click
}
nk_layout_row_dynamic(ctx, 30, 1);
if (nk_button_label(ctx, "Click me!")) {
    // Handle button click
}

Both libraries offer simple ways to create buttons, but Nuklear provides more layout control out of the box. raygui's syntax is more straightforward, while Nuklear requires more setup but offers greater flexibility.

raygui is ideal for quick prototyping and game development with raylib, while Nuklear is better suited for complex, cross-platform applications requiring extensive GUI customization.

Pros of Nuklear (vurtun)

• More active development and recent updates
• Larger community and more contributors
• Better documentation and examples

Cons of Nuklear (vurtun)

• Slightly more complex API
• Less focus on minimalism and simplicity
• Potentially higher memory footprint

Code Comparison

Nuklear (vurtun):

struct nk_context ctx;
nk_init_default(&ctx, 0);
if (nk_begin(&ctx, "Demo", nk_rect(50, 50, 200, 200),
    NK_WINDOW_BORDER|NK_WINDOW_MOVABLE|NK_WINDOW_SCALABLE|
    NK_WINDOW_MINIMIZABLE|NK_WINDOW_TITLE))
{
    nk_layout_row_dynamic(&ctx, 30, 1);
    if (nk_button_label(&ctx, "Button"))
        fprintf(stdout, "Button pressed!\n");
}
nk_end(&ctx);

Nuklear (Immediate-Mode-UI):

struct nk_context ctx;
nk_init_default(&ctx, 0);
if (nk_begin(&ctx, "Demo", nk_rect(50, 50, 200, 200), 0))
{
    nk_layout_row_dynamic(&ctx, 30, 1);
    if (nk_button_label(&ctx, "Button"))
        printf("Button pressed!\n");
}
nk_end(&ctx);

The code comparison shows that both versions have similar syntax and structure, with minor differences in window flags and output methods.

Pros of libui

• Native look and feel across platforms (Windows, macOS, Linux)
• Simple and straightforward API for creating GUI applications
• Lightweight and minimal dependencies

Cons of libui

• Limited widget set compared to Nuklear
• Less flexibility in customizing UI appearance
• Slower development and fewer updates

Code Comparison

libui example:

uiInit(NULL);
uiWindow *window = uiNewWindow("Hello", 300, 200, 0);
uiButton *button = uiNewButton("Click Me");
uiWindowSetChild(window, uiControl(button));
uiControlShow(uiControl(window));
uiMain();

Nuklear example:

struct nk_context ctx;
nk_init_default(&ctx, 0);
if (nk_begin(&ctx, "Hello", nk_rect(50, 50, 200, 200), NK_WINDOW_BORDER|NK_WINDOW_MOVABLE|NK_WINDOW_SCALABLE|NK_WINDOW_MINIMIZABLE|NK_WINDOW_TITLE)) {
    nk_layout_row_static(&ctx, 30, 80, 1);
    if (nk_button_label(&ctx, "Click Me")) {
        // Button clicked
    }
}
nk_end(&ctx);

The code comparison shows that libui has a more straightforward API for creating basic UI elements, while Nuklear offers more fine-grained control over the UI layout and appearance. Nuklear's immediate mode approach allows for more dynamic UI updates, whereas libui follows a more traditional retained mode GUI paradigm.

Pros of microui

• Extremely lightweight and minimalistic (under 1000 lines of C)
• Easy to integrate into existing projects due to its simplicity
• No dependencies, making it highly portable

Cons of microui

• Limited set of UI elements compared to Nuklear
• Less customization options and styling capabilities
• Fewer advanced features like layout systems or complex widgets

Code Comparison

microui:

mu_begin(ctx);
if (mu_button(ctx, "Hello")) {
  printf("Button pressed\n");
}
mu_end(ctx);

Nuklear:

if (nk_begin(ctx, "Window", nk_rect(50, 50, 200, 200),
    NK_WINDOW_BORDER|NK_WINDOW_MOVABLE|NK_WINDOW_SCALABLE|
    NK_WINDOW_MINIMIZABLE|NK_WINDOW_TITLE))
{
    nk_layout_row_static(ctx, 30, 80, 1);
    if (nk_button_label(ctx, "Hello")) {
        printf("Button pressed\n");
    }
}
nk_end(ctx);

The code comparison shows that microui has a simpler API with fewer options, while Nuklear provides more control over window properties and layout. microui's approach is more straightforward, but Nuklear offers greater flexibility and features at the cost of increased complexity.

Pros of lvgl

• More comprehensive widget set and built-in themes
• Better suited for embedded systems and microcontrollers
• Active development and regular updates

Cons of lvgl

• Steeper learning curve due to more complex architecture
• Larger memory footprint compared to Nuklear

Code Comparison

lvgl example:

lv_obj_t * btn = lv_btn_create(lv_scr_act());
lv_obj_set_size(btn, 100, 50);
lv_obj_center(btn);
lv_obj_add_event_cb(btn, btn_event_cb, LV_EVENT_CLICKED, NULL);

Nuklear example:

if (nk_button_label(ctx, "Click me")) {
    // Button clicked
}

lvgl offers a more object-oriented approach with separate creation and event handling, while Nuklear uses a more immediate-mode style with inline event checking. lvgl's code is more verbose but provides greater flexibility and control over widget properties and behaviors. Nuklear's code is more concise and straightforward, making it easier to quickly prototype simple UIs.

Both libraries have their strengths, with lvgl being more suitable for complex, feature-rich interfaces on embedded systems, and Nuklear excelling in simplicity and lightweight implementation for basic UI needs.