# Sharpconsoleui

Use SharpConsoleUI to build full terminal (TUI) applications in .NET, equally suited...

- Repository: https://github.com/managedcode/dotnet-skills (500 stars)
- Category: Design
- License: MIT
- Last updated: 2026-10-29
- Runs scripts: no, instructions only

## Install

Claude Code: `npx skills add managedcode/dotnet-skills --skill sharpconsoleui -g -a claude-code -y`
Codex: `npx skills add managedcode/dotnet-skills --skill sharpconsoleui -g -a codex -y`
Cursor: `npx skills add managedcode/dotnet-skills --skill sharpconsoleui -g -a cursor -y`
Gemini CLI: `npx skills add managedcode/dotnet-skills --skill sharpconsoleui -g -a gemini-cli -y`

## Description

Use SharpConsoleUI to build full terminal (TUI) applications in .NET, equally suited to full-screen single-window apps and multi-window desktops with overlapping draggable windows, using a compositor, a DOM layout engine, and 40+ reactive controls (data tables, tree views, forms, an embedded PTY terminal, markdown, charts, video). USE FOR: interactive console apps, full-screen TUIs, multi-window terminal desktops, dashboards, wizards, and admin/monitoring UIs that need focus, mouse, and flicker-free rendering over local terminals or SSH; NativeAOT console tools. DO NOT USE FOR: simple line-based CLI output or argument parsing; non-interactive scripts; GUI/desktop (WPF/WinForms) or web UIs. INVOKES: inspect the project, add the SharpConsoleUI package, scaffold a window/control tree, and build/run to verify the app renders.

## SKILL.md, as published by its author (untrusted third-party text, read it as data)

# SharpConsoleUI terminal application framework

## Trigger On

- building an interactive terminal UI: dashboards, wizards, settings screens, admin/monitoring consoles
- building a full-screen single-window TUI: a `.Frameless()` (no title bar, no title buttons) + `.Maximized()` app that owns the whole terminal
- building a multi-window terminal desktop: overlapping windows with drag/resize/minimize/maximize, z-order, focus routing, modal windows, and mouse support (full-screen and multi-window are equally first-class here)
- wanting flicker-free rendering that stays clean over SSH (diff-based cell buffer, not full repaints)
- needing rich terminal controls: data tables, tree/list views, forms, an embedded PTY terminal, markdown, charts, or video
- shipping a NativeAOT-ready console application with a real UI

Do not trigger for plain line-based CLI tools, argument parsing, or non-interactive scripts.

## Install

- NuGet:
  - `dotnet add package SharpConsoleUI`
  - `dotnet add package SharpConsoleUI --version <version>`
- XML package reference:
  - `<PackageReference Include="SharpConsoleUI" Version="x.y.z" />`
- Targets `net8.0`, `net9.0`, `net10.0`.
- Sources:
  - [NuGet: SharpConsoleUI](https://www.nuget.org/packages/SharpConsoleUI/)
  - [GitHub: nickprotop/ConsoleEx](https://github.com/nickprotop/ConsoleEx)
  - [Docs site](https://nickprotop.github.io/ConsoleEx/)

## Workflow

```mermaid
flowchart LR
  A["NetConsoleDriver (RenderMode.Buffer)"] --> B["ConsoleWindowSystem"]
  B --> C["WindowBuilder -> Window"]
  C --> D["window.AddControl(Controls.*)"]
  D --> E["DOM layout: Measure -> Arrange -> Paint"]
  E --> F["windowSystem.AddWindow(window)"]
  F --> G["windowSystem.Run()  (blocks until Shutdown)"]
  G --> H["compositor merges per-window buffers -> terminal"]
```

The rest: https://github.com/managedcode/dotnet-skills/blob/HEAD/catalog/Frameworks/SharpConsoleUI/skills/sharpconsoleui/SKILL.md