GLFW
GLFW is an open-source, cross-platform library for creating windows with OpenGL contexts and receiving input and events. It is commonly used in games, scientific visualization, and other graphics-related applications.
opengl
windowing
input-handling
crossplatform
GLFW: Cross-Platform Windowing Library for OpenGLs
An open-source library providing windows with OpenGL contexts and input event handling, ideal for games, scientific visualization, and graphics applications.
What is GLFW?
GLFW is an open-source, cross-platform library for OpenGL, OpenGL ES and Vulkan development on the desktop. It provides functions to create windows, contexts and surfaces, read input, handle events, and interact with the overall system. Some of the key capabilities of GLFW include:
- Creating and managing windows with OpenGL contexts
- Reading keyboard, mouse and joystick input
- Managing multiple contexts and threads
- Handling events like keyboard/mouse input, window resizing/closing, etc.
- Retrieving monitor information and video modes
- Support for multiple platforms including Windows, macOS and Linux
GLFW is written in C and has bindings available for many popular languages like C++, C#, Python, D, Haskell and more. It is very modular and only depends on the standard C library, OpenGL/GLES/Vulkan and OS-specific APIs. This makes it highly portable and easy to integrate into existing projects.
GLFW is commonly used for creating graphical applications and games using OpenGL or other native APIs. Some of the popular applications using GLFW include the OpenGL benchmarking utility gDEBugger, the 3D editor Blender, the game framework OGRE as well as indie games like Super Hexagon. Its cross-platform capabilities, small footprint and liberal license makes GLFW a popular choice for writing portable graphics applications.
GLFW Features
Features
- Create and manage windows with OpenGL contexts
- Receive input from keyboard, mouse, joystick, etc
- Manage events like window resize, input, etc
- Multi-monitor and multi-window support
- Support for multiple OpenGL versions
- Cross-platform - works on Windows, Linux, MacOS
- Written in C - can be used from C/C++ applications
Pricing
- Open Source
Pros
Lightweight and simple
Actively maintained
Good documentation and examples
Permissive license (zlib/libpng)
Cons
Limited to OpenGL only (no Vulkan support)
No higher-level abstractions like sprites, fonts, etc
Requires linking other libraries for audio, image loading, etc
Official Links
The Best GLFW Alternatives
Top Development and Graphics & Game Libraries and other similar apps like GLFW
Here are some alternatives to GLFW:
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