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andydotxyz/glfw

Analysis updated 2026-07-18 · repo last pushed 2020-11-08

CAudience · developerComplexity · 3/5DormantSetup · moderate

TLDR

Lets Go programs use GLFW, a C library for opening windows and reading keyboard, mouse, and gamepad input, without you having to compile or link any C code yourself.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((glfw))
    What it does
      Wraps GLFW C library
      Auto-compiles with go get
      Go-friendly Window and Monitor types
    Tech Stack
      Go
      C
      OpenGL
    Use Cases
      Desktop apps
      3D visualizers
      Cross-platform games
    Platforms
      Windows
      macOS
      Linux
    Audience
      Game developers
      Graphics programmers

Code map

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What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Open a window and render OpenGL graphics from a Go program

USE CASE 2

Build a cross-platform desktop game in Go for Windows, macOS, and Linux

USE CASE 3

Read keyboard, mouse, gamepad, and joystick input in a Go application

USE CASE 4

Build a 3D visualizer that needs a native window to draw into

What is it built with?

GoCOpenGL

How does it compare?

andydotxyz/glfwac000/find-flvacc4github/kdenlive-omnifade
Stars——0
LanguageCCC
Last pushed2020-11-082013-04-05—
MaintenanceDormantDormant—
Setup difficultymoderatemoderatemoderate
Complexity3/52/52/5
Audiencedeveloperdevelopergeneral

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 30min

macOS needs Xcode tools and Linux needs graphics dev libraries installed before it builds.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Show me how to create a 640x480 window with OpenGL rendering using this glfw package
Prompt 2
Write a Go game loop using glfw that reads keyboard input and exits when the window closes
Prompt 3
Explain how to handle gamepad and joystick input with this glfw wrapper
Prompt 4
Show me why some glfw calls need runtime.LockOSThread and how to set that up

Frequently asked questions

What is glfw?

Lets Go programs use GLFW, a C library for opening windows and reading keyboard, mouse, and gamepad input, without you having to compile or link any C code yourself.

What language is glfw written in?

Mainly C. The stack also includes Go, C, OpenGL.

Is glfw actively maintained?

Dormant — no commits in 2+ years (last push 2020-11-08).

How hard is glfw to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated moderate, with roughly 30min to a first successful run.

Who is glfw for?

Mainly developer.

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