DVUI Editor

A simple vscode style text editor written in Zig with DVUI.

DVUI Editor Markdown DVUI Editor Ink DVUI Editor CSV

Contributing

Adding support for a new file type

file_widgets/ is the home for file-format-specific widgets. Each format typically needs two files:

• *EditorWidget.zig — a split-pane layout combining an editor and a preview (see InkEditorWidget, MarkDownWidget, or JsonWidget as examples).
• *PreviewWidget.zig — renders or runs the file content live (see InkPreviewWidget, MarkDownPreviewWidget, or JsonPreviewWidget as examples).

Steps to wire up a new format:

1. Create your widget files in file_widgets/src/. The widget module must export:

   pubconstwidget_id="my_format";// unique snake_case idpubconstwidget_name="My Format Editor";// shown in the infobarpubfnfileTypePriority(kind:FileType.Kind)?u8{...}pubfninit(...)MyFormatWidget{...}pubfndeinit(self:MyFormatWidget)void{...}pubfnprocessEvents(self:*MyFormatWidget)void{...}

   If the widget needs persistent state (parsed AST, scroll position, etc.), also export:

   pubconstState=MyFormatPreviewWidget.State;

2. Register it in file_widgets/src/root.zig — two lines only:

   pubconstMyFormatWidget=@import("MyFormatWidget.zig");// top of file// ...constwidget_table=.{// ... existing widgets ...MyFormatWidget,// ← add here};

   WidgetKind, WidgetState, and all dispatch are generated automatically from the table.

3. Register the file extension in core_widgets/src/FileType.zig.

4. Declare any new C libraries in file_widgets/build.zig.

Widget priority

Each widget declares pub fn fileTypePriority(kind: FileType.Kind) ?u8. Return null if the widget doesn't support a given kind; return an integer otherwise — lower wins (the widget is shown by default). Established values:

The infobar automatically shows a dropdown when more than one widget supports the open file, letting the user override the default.

Testing a new file type widget

Add a file tests/<format>_test.zig following the pattern of the existing widget tests (e.g. tests/json_test.zig):

1. Set up a FileRef with a small inline fixture and the correct path extension so FileType.fromPath routes correctly.
2. Create the preview state (e.g. FooPreviewWidget.State = .{}), call settle(), and defer state.deinit(allocator).
3. Assert parsed content — check state fields that the widget populates during rendering (parsed AST, table, transcript, etc.) and verify that specific fixture values appear in them.
4. Assert dvui visibility — add a .tag to a key rendered widget (e.g. the success-path container) and call dvui.testing.expectVisible("my-tag") after settle.
5. Wire it up in build.zig — the loop at the bottom of build() that calls addTest for each tests/*.zig file picks up new files automatically.

Advanced note: CsvPreviewWidget uses GridWidget which requires multiple frames to measure cell heights. Use a for (0..20) |_| { _ = try dvui.testing.step(frame.f); } loop instead of settle().

Credits

• Fizzy for the code-base that was used as a starting point.
• David Vanderson for all the help and DVUI.