Exploring Tauri and Rust GUI Frameworks

If you are looking for a GUI framework for the Rust programming language, you
may want to consider Tauri. Tauri is an open source package that enables
developers to create lightweight, web-based desktop applications using Rust.
In this blog post, we will discuss the pros and cons of Tauri, and compare it
with some other popular GUI libraries and frameworks for Rust, such as EGUI,
Iced, and Azul.

Pros of Tauri

One of the main advantages of Tauri is its web-based architecture. Tauri
leverages JavaScript, WebAssembly, and other web technologies to create a
seamless development experience. You can use your favorite web frameworks and
tools to create the UI of your desktop application, and then use Rust to
handle the logic and performance. This way, you can benefit from the rich
ecosystem and community of web development, and also enjoy the speed and
safety of Rust.

Another benefit of Tauri is its cross-platform compatibility. With Tauri, you
can create a single GUI that can run on multiple platforms with minimal
modification, resulting in a “build for one, run on all” scenario. Tauri
supports Windows, Mac, and Linux, and also has experimental support for
Android and iOS.

A third advantage of Tauri is its performance and security. Tauri applications
are fast, secure, and have a small footprint. Tauri runs on web technologies,
which means that it does not require any heavy dependencies or system-specific
libraries. Tauri applications have low memory usage and a small binary size,
which makes them ideal for low-end hardware or resource-constrained
environments. Tauri also uses an event-driven architecture that allows for
easy interaction with events. Tauri provides access to native APIs and
JavaScript interoperability that enables the packages to access JavaScript
functions from Rust code.

Cons of Tauri

One of the main drawbacks of Tauri is its maturity and stability. Tauri is
still in beta stage, which means that it may have some bugs, issues, or
breaking changes. Tauri is also undergoing active development, which means
that some features or functionalities may not be fully implemented or
documented yet. Therefore, if you are looking for a production-ready GUI
framework for Rust, you may want to wait until Tauri reaches a stable release.

Another disadvantage of Tauri is its learning curve and complexity. Tauri
requires developers to have some knowledge and experience with web
development, as well as Rust programming. Tauri also involves multiple
technologies and components, such as WebAssembly, web frameworks, native APIs,
JavaScript interoperability, etc., which may add some complexity and overhead
to the development process. Therefore, if you are looking for a simple and
straightforward GUI framework for Rust, you may find Tauri a bit challenging
or overwhelming.

Comparison with other GUI libraries and frameworks

Tauri is not the only GUI library or framework for Rust. There are several
other options to choose from, such as EGUI, Iced, and Azul. Each of these
libraries or frameworks has its own features, pros and cons, and use cases.
Here is a brief comparison table:

As you can see, Tauri and Azul use the same rendering engine (WebRender),
which is known for its high-quality and fast rendering of complex web content.
EGUI and Iced use their own custom rendering engines, which may have some
advantages or disadvantages depending on the use case. Tauri is the only
library that allows developers to use web technologies (such as HTML, CSS,
JavaScript) to create desktop applications with Rust. EGUI, Iced, and Azul use
Rust code to define the UI elements and logic.

The choice of the best GUI library or framework for Rust depends on your
project requirements, preferences, and goals. Each library or framework has
its strengths and weaknesses, and you should evaluate them carefully before
deciding which one to use.