ncurses vs termbox

Struggling to choose between ncurses and termbox? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

ncurses is a Development solution with tags like textbased, terminal, user-interface, tui, curses, menus, forms.

It boasts features such as Text-based user interface library, Supports color, key handling, mouse support, menus, forms, panels, etc, Portable - runs on many operating systems, Wide language support - C, C++, Ada, Python, Perl, Ruby, etc, Built-in support for internationalization and pros including Lightweight, low resource usage, Very customizable and flexible, Mature and stable codebase, Good documentation, Active open source community.

On the other hand, termbox is a Development product tagged with terminal, tui, console, cli, curses, library, bindings.

Its standout features include Provides simple API for creating text UIs, Supports multiple platforms like Linux, Windows, OS X, Supports multiple programming languages like C, C++, Go, Rust, Handles keyboard inputs and mouse events, Provides primitive shapes and widgets like text, rectangles, lines, Abstracts away complexities of terminal control and text rendering, and it shines with pros like Lightweight and fast, Easy to integrate and use, Cross-platform support, Language bindings make it accessible, Actively maintained and improved.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

ncurses

ncurses

ncurses (new curses) is a programming library that provides an API to display text-based user interfaces in a terminal. It offers functions to manipulate the text, colors, and cursor to create interfaces like menus, forms, and more.

Categories:
textbased terminal user-interface tui curses menus forms

Ncurses Features

  1. Text-based user interface library
  2. Supports color, key handling, mouse support, menus, forms, panels, etc
  3. Portable - runs on many operating systems
  4. Wide language support - C, C++, Ada, Python, Perl, Ruby, etc
  5. Built-in support for internationalization

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Lightweight, low resource usage

Very customizable and flexible

Mature and stable codebase

Good documentation

Active open source community

Cons

Text-only, no native graphical capabilities

Steep learning curve

Not ideal for complex UIs

Limited built-in widgets


termbox

termbox

Termbox is a library that provides minimalistic API and abstracts away complexities of creating console/terminal UI applications. It has bindings for C, C++, Go, Rust, and other languages.

Categories:
terminal tui console cli curses library bindings

Termbox Features

  1. Provides simple API for creating text UIs
  2. Supports multiple platforms like Linux, Windows, OS X
  3. Supports multiple programming languages like C, C++, Go, Rust
  4. Handles keyboard inputs and mouse events
  5. Provides primitive shapes and widgets like text, rectangles, lines
  6. Abstracts away complexities of terminal control and text rendering

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Lightweight and fast

Easy to integrate and use

Cross-platform support

Language bindings make it accessible

Actively maintained and improved

Cons

Limited documentation and examples

Less flexible compared to full GUI frameworks

Lacks some advanced UI features

Not many customization options for appearances