duilib/duilib

★ 5,930C++Audience · developerComplexity · 4/5Setup · hard

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((duilib))
    What It Does
      Custom Windows UI
      DirectUI rendering
      Single window drawing
    Tech Stack
      C++
      Visual Studio
      vcpkg package manager
    Known Users
      Tencent apps
      NetEase products
      Video players
    Audience
      Windows C++ devs
      Desktop app builders

mindmap root((duilib)) What It Does Custom Windows UI DirectUI rendering Single window drawing Tech Stack C++ Visual Studio vcpkg package manager Known Users Tencent apps NetEase products Video players Audience Windows C++ devs Desktop app builders

Click or tap to explore — scroll the page freely

Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Build a Windows desktop application with a fully custom skin that looks nothing like standard Windows controls.

USE CASE 2

Create a custom-styled instant messaging or video player app for Windows using the DirectUI rendering approach.

Tech stack

C++vcpkg

Getting it running

Difficulty · hard Time to first run · 1h+

Requires Visual Studio and vcpkg, primary documentation is in Chinese with limited English resources available.

In plain English

Duilib is a free, open-source user interface library for building Windows desktop applications. It follows the DirectUI approach, which means all visual controls are drawn on a single window rather than using separate operating-system windows for each button, text box, or panel. This gives developers full control over the visual appearance of their applications and is often used when a program needs a custom look that goes beyond the standard Windows controls. According to the README (written in Chinese), Duilib has been adopted by major Chinese internet companies and used in many types of PC software, including instant messaging clients, video players, stock market applications, navigation software, mobile companion tools, and security products. Tencent and NetEase both maintain their own modified versions of the library. The project has been available since August 2010. Installation can be done through vcpkg, a package manager that handles downloading and integrating C++ libraries into Visual Studio projects. The README notes the library continues to evolve, with planned improvements to documentation, examples, animation, and its rendering system. The README is brief and primarily in Chinese, with no detailed technical documentation included in the repository root. More information about software built with Duilib is available via a linked wiki page.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1

How do I install Duilib using vcpkg and set up a minimal Windows desktop app project with a custom-styled window in Visual Studio?

Prompt 2

Show me how to create a non-standard title bar and custom skin for a Windows app using Duilib.

Prompt 3

What is the DirectUI approach in Duilib and how does drawing all UI controls on a single window allow full visual customization?

Open on GitHub → Explain another repo

← duilib on gitmyhub — every repo by this author, as a profile.

Verify against the repo before relying on details.