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Folders Index​

folderglfw
folderimgui

ImGui integration for debug overlays and developer tools. More...

folderopengl

Files Index​

fileext/_module.ixx

Root module aggregating all external integrations for helios. More...

Description​

helios::ext​

This namespace contains platform-specific implementations and backend adapters for the helios framework. It bridges the abstract helios core APIs with concrete third-party libraries.

Overview​

The ext namespace follows a plugin architecture, allowing helios to support multiple windowing systems and rendering backends without coupling the core framework to specific implementations.

Available Extensions​

 ext/
 ├── glfw/ # GLFW-based windowing and input
 │ ├── window/ # GLFWWindow implementation
 │ ├── input/ # GLFWInputAdapter implementation
 │ └── app/ # GLFWApplication and factory
 └── opengl/ # OpenGL rendering backend
  ├── rendering/ # OpenGL RenderingDevice
  ├── shader/ # OpenGLShader implementation
  └── model/ # OpenGLMesh implementation

Architecture​

Extension Responsibilities​

ExtensionResponsibility
glfwWindow creation, event handling, input polling (keyboard, mouse, gamepad)
openglGPU resource management, shader compilation, draw call submission

Separation of Concerns​

  • helios core defines the interfaces (e.g., Window, RenderingDevice, Shader)
  • ext modules provide the implementations (e.g., GLFWWindow, OpenGLShader)
  • Applications use factories to instantiate concrete implementations

Using Extensions​

Quick Start with GLFW + OpenGL​

 import helios.ext.glfw.app.GLFWFactory;
 
 int main() {
  // Factory creates a complete GLFW+OpenGL application
  auto app = GLFWFactory::makeOpenGLApp("My App");
 
  auto* window = app->current(); // GLFWWindow
  auto& device = app->renderingDevice(); // OpenGLRenderingDevice
  auto& input = app->inputManager(); // GLFWInputAdapter
 
  while (!window->shouldClose()) {
  // Your game loop
  }
 }

Extension Modules​

GLFW-based implementation for windowing and input.

Key Classes:

  • GLFWWindow - Window management (resize, close, swap buffers)
  • GLFWInputAdapter - Input polling (keyboard, mouse, gamepad)
  • GLFWApplication - Application lifecycle with event loop
  • GLFWFactory - Factory for creating GLFW-based apps

Dependencies:

See: glfw/README.md

OpenGL 4.5+ rendering backend.

Key Classes:

  • OpenGLRenderingDevice - Main rendering interface
  • OpenGLShader - Shader compilation and linking
  • OpenGLMesh - VBO/IBO management
  • OpenGLUniformLocationMap - Uniform binding

Dependencies:

  • OpenGL 4.5+
  • GLAD (loader)

See: opengl/README.md

Creating a New Backend​

To add support for a new platform or rendering API:

1. Implement Core Interfaces​

Create implementations for:

2. Create Factory​

 namespace helios::ext::vulkan {
  class VulkanFactory {
  public:
  static std::unique_ptr<Application> makeVulkanApp(
  const std::string& title
  ) {
  auto window = std::make_unique<VulkanWindow>(...);
  auto device = std::make_unique<VulkanRenderingDevice>(...);
  auto input = std::make_unique<VulkanInputAdapter>(...);
 
  return std::make_unique<Application>(
  std::move(window),
  std::move(device),
  std::move(input)
  );
  }
  };
 }

3. Follow Module Structure​

 include/ext/yourbackend/
 ├── _module.ixx # Module facade
 ├── rendering/
 │ ├── YourRenderingDevice.ixx
 │ └── ...
 ├── shader/
 │ └── YourShader.ixx
 └── ...
 
 src/ext/yourbackend/
 ├── rendering/
 │ ├── YourRenderingDevice.cpp
 │ └── ...
 └── ...

4. Update CMake​

Add your backend to the build system:

 # In src/ext/CMakeLists.txt
 add_subdirectory(yourbackend)

Design Principles​

1. Abstract Interfaces: The core helios framework defines interfaces, not implementations. 2. Dependency Injection: Applications receive concrete implementations via factories. 3. Modularity: Each extension is an independent C++23 module. 4. Interchangeability: Backends can be swapped without changing application code (only the factory call).

Examples​

See examples/ for complete applications using the extensions:

  • simple_cube_rendering - GLFW + OpenGL
  • game_controller_input - GLFW input handling

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