Oxide and Friends Textual UIs with Orhun Parmaksız
59 snips
Feb 13, 2025 Orhun Parmaksız is the lead developer of Ratatui, a Rust framework transforming terminal UIs. In this engaging conversation, he shares his journey into programming and the vibrant world of TUIs. They touch on the nostalgia of early tech experiences and the enduring appeal of text-based applications. Orhun also discusses innovative projects like Ratzilla and the challenges of cross-platform Rust development. Delightful anecdotes about the Minitel and ASCII art games make for a captivating exploration of software's evolution.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Bryan's First TUI
- Bryan Cantrill reminisces about creating a TUI menu program for DOS batch files as a teenager.
- He distributed it as shareware and even made his first $5 sale.
GUI vs. CLI
- In the 80s/90s, GUIs were considered the future, leading to a Unix vs. Windows debate.
- This was partly a GUI vs. CLI debate, with X Windows being complex for GUI development.
Web UI and Battletris
- Bryan and Adam built a sophisticated web UI in 2006, opting for direct DOM manipulation over Django.
- They also jokingly recall their term "BUI" for browser user interface and the infamous Battletris game.