> **CRITICAL**: This is a **native desktop application** using PyWry/WRY (Rust WebView). > This is **NOT** a browser. This is **NOT** Jupyter. This is **NOT** an iframe.
Scanned 5/27/2026
Install via CLI
openskills install deeleeramone/PyWry# Native Window Mode
> **CRITICAL**: This is a **native desktop application** using PyWry/WRY (Rust WebView).
> This is **NOT** a browser. This is **NOT** Jupyter. This is **NOT** an iframe.
## What Native Mode IS
You're creating widgets for a **native desktop window** powered by:
- **PyWry** (Python bindings)
- **WRY** (Rust WebView library)
- **Tauri** ecosystem (system-level access)
The widget runs in a **standalone system window** with:
- Native title bar, minimize, maximize, close buttons
- Direct OS integration (file dialogs, notifications, clipboard)
- No browser chrome, no URL bar, no tabs
- Full screen real estate for your content
## What Native Mode is NOT
❌ **NOT a web browser** - No DevTools (unless explicitly enabled), no extensions, no URL bar
❌ **NOT Jupyter** - No cell output area, no kernel, no notebook context
❌ **NOT an iframe** - No parent page, no sandboxing, no cross-origin restrictions
## Architecture
```
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Native Window │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Title Bar (OS-native) │ │
│ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ WebView (WRY/Tauri) │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ │
│ │ │ Your Widget Content │ │ │
│ │ │ (HTML/CSS/JS via PyWry API) │ │ │
│ │ └─────────────────────────────────────────┘ │ │
│ │ │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
↕ Python ↔ Rust ↔ OS integration
```
## Key Capabilities
### Window Control
- Resize, minimize, maximize, close via native controls
- Set window title dynamically
- Window always stays on top (optional)
- Multiple windows possible
### System Integration
- **Downloads**: `download` tool triggers native OS save dialog
- **Navigation**: `navigate` can open external URLs in system browser
- **Clipboard**: Full clipboard access
- **File System**: Can reference local files
### Persistent State
- Widget state persists until window is closed
- Events accumulate until `get_events(clear=True)`
- Long-running applications are the norm
## Best Practices
### 1. Layout - Use Full Viewport
```python
# You have the entire window - use it
content = Div(
content="<h1>Dashboard</h1>",
component_id="main",
style="height: 100vh; width: 100vw; padding: 20px;",
)
```
### 2. Toolbars - Position Top/Bottom
```python
# Top toolbar for primary navigation
create_widget(
html=content.build_html(),
toolbars=[{
"position": "top",
"items": [
{"type": "button", "label": "File", "event": "menu:file"},
{"type": "button", "label": "Edit", "event": "menu:edit"},
{"type": "button", "label": "View", "event": "menu:view"},
]
}]
)
```
### 3. Theme - Respect System Preference
```python
# Let OS dark/light mode control the theme
update_theme(widget_id, theme="system")
```
### 4. Interactive Buttons - The Pattern
**CRITICAL**: Buttons work automatically when events follow `elementId:action` pattern.
```
# Counter widget - buttons update content automatically
create_widget(
html='<div id="counter" style="font-size:48px;text-align:center">0</div>',
toolbars=[{
"position": "top",
"items": [
{"type": "button", "label": "+1", "event": "counter:increment"},
{"type": "button", "label": "-1", "event": "counter:decrement"},
{"type": "button", "label": "Reset", "event": "counter:reset"}
]
}]
)
```
The magic: `event="counter:increment"` automatically:
1. Finds element with `id="counter"`
2. Increments its text content by 1
3. Updates the display
Supported actions:
- `increment` - add 1
- `decrement` - subtract 1
- `reset` - set to 0
- `toggle` - switch true/false
### 5. Window Events
```python
# Detect window close
events = get_events(widget_id, clear=True)
for e in events:
if e["event_type"] == "pywry:disconnect":
# User closed the window - cleanup
cleanup_resources()
```
## Recommended Components
| Component | Why |
|-----------|-----|
| `TabGroup` | Multi-view navigation (like app tabs) |
| `SecretInput` | Secure API key storage |
| `Marquee` | Live data tickers (full width available) |
| `Plotly` | Full interactive charts (zoom, pan, export) |
## Code Example
```python
from pywry import PyWry
from pywry.toolbar import Button, Div, TabGroup, Toolbar
app = PyWry()
# Create main content area
content = Div(
content="""
<h1 style="margin: 0;">Financial Dashboard</h1>
<p>Real-time market data</p>
""",
component_id="dashboard",
style="padding: 24px; height: calc(100vh - 100px);",
)
# Create window with toolbars
widget = app.show(
html=content.build_html(),
title="Market Dashboard",
height=800,
toolbars=[
Toolbar(
position="top",
items=[
Button(label="Refresh", event="action:refresh", variant="primary"),
Button(label="Settings", event="action:settings", variant="ghost"),
]
)
]
)
# Event loop
while True:
events = widget.get_events(clear=True)
for e in events:
if e["event_type"] == "pywry:disconnect":
exit()
elif e["event_type"] == "action:refresh":
# Refresh data...
pass
```
## Native-Specific Features
### File Downloads
```python
# Triggers native OS save dialog
download(widget_id,
url="data:text/csv;base64,...",
filename="export.csv")
```
### Open in System Browser
```python
# Opens URL in user's default browser (not the widget)
navigate(widget_id, url="https://example.com", external=True)
```
### Toast Notifications
```python
# Native-style toast (position matters less in native)
show_toast(widget_id, message="Saved!", type="success")
```
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