jewel

Introduction to the Jewel Project

Overview

The Jewel project is a Compose for Desktop theme designed to emulate the IntelliJ Platform's New UI Swing Look and Feel. This initiative aims to create a visually appealing and consistent user interface optimized for desktop applications. It is primarily a JetBrains project and is under active development, with its APIs subject to frequent changes. Users are advised to exercise caution when considering it for production environments.

Key Features

• IntelliJ Platform Theme Implementation: Jewel provides an implementation of IntelliJ's platform themes that can be integrated with any Compose for Desktop application.
• Swing LaF Bridge: This feature is essential for creating IntelliJ IDE plugins, as it mirrors the current Swing Look and Feel into Compose, maintaining a consistent and native-looking UI across apps.
• Desktop-Optimized Components: Equipped with a set of components and styling that are optimized for desktop use, aiming to enhance user interaction and engagement.

Usage Scenarios

There are two primary ways to use Jewel:

1. Standalone Compose for Desktop Application: For developers who want to create independent desktop apps using Compose for Desktop.
2. IntelliJ Platform Plugin Development: Suitable for developers creating plugins for the IntelliJ Platform, utilizing Jewel's Swing LaF Bridge for seamless theme integration.

Getting Started

To begin using Jewel, certain configurations are necessary:

1. Integrate Compose Multiplatform Plugin: Add the Compose Multiplatform plugin to your Gradle setup.
2. Include Necessary Dependencies: Based on your usage scenario (standalone app or IntelliJ plugin), include the appropriate Jewel dependencies in your project.

For a standalone Compose app, you would typically add the int-ui-standalone-* artifact. For IntelliJ Platform plugins, the ide-laf-bridge-* artifact is the right choice.

dependencies {
    implementation("org.jetbrains.jewel:jewel-int-ui-standalone-[version]:[jewel version]")
    // For decoration
    implementation("org.jetbrains.jewel:jewel-int-ui-decorated-window-[version]:[jewel version]")
}

Theme Application

To apply the Jewel theme, wrap your UI components in the IntUiTheme composable. This ensures effective application of the design language across your application.

IntUiTheme(isDark = false) {
    // Your App UI Components
}

Project Structure

Jewel's architecture is modular, consisting of several key modules such as:

• Foundation: Contains core components without strong styling.
• UI: Houses all styled components and custom painter logic.
• Decorated Window: Basic functionality for custom window decorations.
• Markdown: Provides the ability to render Markdown documents with GitHub-like styling.

Current Status and Support

• Development Stage: Jewel is in active development and not fully stable for production use. Users are encouraged to experiment with it but should remain prepared for breaking changes.
• IntelliJ Platform Compatibility: Jewel supports the integration of themes for the latest IntelliJ Platform versions, although only standard theming mechanisms are supported.

Resources and Learning

For those seeking further insight into the Jewel project and how it integrates with Compose for Desktop, a variety of resources, including talks and sample projects, are available. A notable recommendation is the talk by contributors Sebastiano and Chris at Droidcon, which provides a comprehensive overview of Jewel and its capabilities in real-world applications.

Conclusion

The Jewel project represents a forward-thinking initiative to harmonize the UI experience across desktop applications using the Compose for Desktop framework, particularly within the IntelliJ ecosystem. While it is still evolving, it holds the promise of modern, cohesive, and visually attractive application interfaces.