Cranpose

Build desktop, mobile and web apps with Rust functions. Cranpose follows the Jetpack Compose model: a function describes the screen, state changes update the screen, and modifiers control layout, input and appearance.

The same UI code runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Android, Wear OS, iOS, Apple Watch and the web. The experimental watchOS host draws through SpriteKit. Cranpose also places Rust screens inside Android Compose and UIKit apps.

Run a counter

Create a desktop app:

cargo new counter
cd counter
cargo add cranpose --features desktop,renderer-wgpu

Replace src/main.rs with this example, then run cargo run:

use cranpose::*;

#[composable]
fn Counter() {
    let count = rememberMutableStateOf(|| 0);

    Column(
        Modifier::empty().padding(24.0),
        ColumnSpec::default().vertical_arrangement(LinearArrangement::spaced_by(12.0)),
        move || {
            Text(
                format!("Count: {}", count.get()),
                Modifier::empty(),
                TextStyle::default(),
            );
            Button(
                Modifier::empty().height(48.0),
                ButtonSpec::default(),
                move || count.update(|value| *value += 1),
                || {
                    Text("Increment", Modifier::empty(), TextStyle::default());
                },
            );
        },
    );
}

# #[cfg(all(feature = "desktop-shell", feature = "renderer-wgpu", not(target_os = "android")))]
fn main() -> Result<(), cranpose::LaunchError> {
    AppLauncher::new()
        .with_title("Counter")
        .with_size(360, 240)
        .try_run(Counter)
}
# #[cfg(not(all(feature = "desktop-shell", feature = "renderer-wgpu", not(target_os = "android"))))]
# fn main() {}

rememberMutableStateOf retains the count across recomposition. The button callback changes the count. A read through count.get() subscribes the text to state updates. State handles are Copy, so the callbacks share one state value. try_run starts the desktop event loop and returns a launch error on failure.

Choose a project structure

For translatable text, enable localization and wrap source strings with tr!("Save"). A scoped ProvideLocalization updates text when the app's language changes. See the localization guide for catalogs, plural forms, extraction, and framework overrides.

For a complete app, start from the project template. The template includes screens, view models, navigation and platform hosts. The IDE plugin creates the same project through File → New Project → Cranpose.

Use cranpose::prelude::* for common app imports and cranpose::liquid::prelude::* for Liquid controls. The app guide connects UI state, flows, view models, device services and platform builds.

Select a platform

Select a host and renderer in Cargo features. Desktop uses Vulkan, Metal or DirectX through WGPU. Android and web also support GL/GLES.

The platform guide links the target-specific setup. The Android plugin guide describes Cargo packages, services, permissions and ABI selection.

The default feature embeds a font. default-features = false lets an app select its own font data. renderer-pixels selects software output for custom hosts. renderer-wgpu-gles adds the GL/GLES backend to WGPU.

Add app features

Optional features select extra backends: audio, audio-desktop, media, camera-desktop, storekit, playbilling and webview. robot adds app test support. The feature list records each dependency choice.

Cranpose is pre-alpha. Public APIs can change between releases. Review the release notes when an app updates its dependency.