Namespace Drivers

The Drivers namespace provides the platform abstraction layer enabling Terminal.Gui to run consistently across Windows, macOS, and Linux/Unix.

Key Types

• IDriver - Main driver interface for terminal operations
• DriverRegistry - Registry of available drivers with metadata
• AnsiResponseParser - ANSI escape sequence parsing for input
• AnsiKeyboardParser / AnsiMouseParser - Keyboard and mouse input parsing
• EscSeqUtils - ANSI escape sequence constants and utilities
• Cursor / CursorStyle - Terminal cursor management

Available Drivers

Driver Selection

// Automatic (recommended)
app.Init ();  // Selects best driver for platform

// Explicit selection
app.Init (DriverRegistry.Names.ANSI);

// Via configuration
app.ForceDriver = DriverRegistry.Names.UNIX;
app.Init ();

See Also

• Drivers Deep Dive
• ANSI Handling Deep Dive
• Cursor Management

Threading Model

The driver architecture uses a multi-threaded design:

• Input Thread: Asynchronously reads console input without blocking the UI
• Main UI Thread: Processes events, performs layout, and renders output

This separation ensures responsive input handling even during intensive UI operations.

Deep Dive

See the Cross-Platform Driver Model for comprehensive details.