User Guide#

Everything you need to build real applications with bootstack — start with setup and the basics, reach for a how-to when you have a specific task in mind, read a feature guide to learn a subsystem end to end, or pick up the developer tools that run, debug, and package your app. For the complete lookup of every public name, see the API Reference; for the visual widget catalog, see Widgets.

Getting started#

Installation

Install bootstack and confirm your environment is ready.

Installation
Quick Start

Your first window, a navigation app, and reactive state — in a few minutes.

Quick Start
App Structures

Choose the right top-level container: App, AppShell, or Window.

App Structures

How-to guides#

Arranging Widgets

Arrange widgets with stacks and grids; fill, expand, and anchor.

Arranging Widgets
Getting Input

Text, numbers, dates, choices, and sliders — and binding them to state.

Getting Input
Handling Actions

Buttons, events, debounced streams, shortcuts, and menus.

Handling Actions
Using the Clipboard

Read and write the system clipboard.

Using the Clipboard
Displaying Data

Labels, lists, tables, trees, and the data sources behind them.

Displaying Data
Visualizing Data

Embed themed matplotlib/seaborn charts that update from a signal or source.

Visualizing Data
Customizing Fields

Add icons, labels, buttons, and toggles inside a field to specialize it.

Customizing Fields
Composing with Builders

Reusable components from plain functions that build widgets.

Composing with Builders
Building Forms

Lay out fields and validate them before submit.

Building Forms
Showing Dialogs

Alerts, confirmations, prompts, toasts, and custom dialogs.

Showing Dialogs
Navigating Views

Sidebar, master–detail, and workspace navigation shapes.

Navigating Views
Setting App Icons

Set the runtime and distribution icons from a single glyph.

Setting App Icons
Showing Splash Screens

Intro screens that cover startup — timed branding, welcome, real progress.

Showing Splash Screens
Capturing Screenshots

Save a window or a single widget as a PNG, JPEG, or PDF the user can share.

Capturing Screenshots

Feature guides#

App Configuration

Configure the app at construction and read or change it live at runtime.

App Configuration
Theming

Color themes, runtime switching, and custom themes.

Theming
Typography

Fonts and the text-style tokens.

Typography
Images

Image handles and theme-aware icons.

Images and Icons
Localization

Translatable text and locale-aware formatting.

Localization (i18n)
Signals

Reactive state that flows between widgets.

Signals
Events

The on_* model and the typed payloads handlers receive.

Events
Streams

Compose, filter, debounce, and throttle event pipelines.

Streams
Validation

Rules that check what a user enters.

Validation
Data Sources

Sources, the col() query language, filtering, and paging.

Data Sources
Storage

A file-backed preferences store.

Preferences Store
Shortcuts

Register application keyboard shortcuts.

Shortcuts
Scheduling

Run work after a delay or on a repeating interval.

Scheduling
Errors

The exception types bootstack raises.

Errors

Developer tools#

CLI & Tooling

The bootstack command — scaffold, run, add components, and explore the framework.

CLI & Tooling
Hot Reload

Edit and save to update the running app in place with bootstack dev.

Hot Reload
Debugging

The doctor health check, full tracebacks, and the exceptions to expect.

Debugging
Distribution

Package a project into a standalone executable with PyInstaller.

Distribution