Documentation Guide

Use this directory by depth, not by file-name guessing. The idea is simple:

• the root README.md sells the shape of the library
• this directory tells you where to go next
• docs.rs is the API signature source of truth

Start here

• QUICK_START.md - install, first app, counter, layout, input
• WIDGETS.md - categorized widget map
• PATTERNS.md - common composition patterns
• EXAMPLES.md - runnable example index

Recommended paths

I want to build an app quickly

1. QUICK_START.md
2. WIDGETS.md
3. PATTERNS.md
4. EXAMPLES.md

I want to trust the runtime and backend path

1. BACKENDS.md
2. TESTING.md
3. DEBUGGING.md
4. ARCHITECTURE.md

I want to contribute to the library itself

1. Design Principles
2. ARCHITECTURE.md
3. TESTING.md
4. CHANGELOG.md

By task

• AI_GUIDE.md - fastest path for AI-assisted builders and coding agents
• ANIMATION.md - tween, spring, keyframes, sequence, stagger
• BACKENDS.md - custom backends, inline mode, static output, frame()
• COOKBOOK.md - copy-paste recipes for five common TUI apps
• DEBUGGING.md - F12 overlay, clipping, focus, previous-frame behavior
• FEATURES.md - feature flags and runtime capability matrix
• TESTING.md - TestBackend, EventBuilder, input simulation, snapshots
• THEMING.md - theme struct, presets, ThemeBuilder, custom themes
• CHANGELOG.md - release history and migration notes

Contributor docs

• Design Principles - API rules and design constraints
• ARCHITECTURE.md - module map and frame lifecycle

Translations

• README.ko.md
• README.ja.md
• README.es.md
• README.zh-CN.md

The root README.md is the landing page. This directory holds the deeper guides. Use docs.rs for API signatures; use the files here for architecture, patterns, examples, and contributor-facing contracts.