glfw ☆

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Description:
Multi-platform library for OpenGL applications

Type: Formula | Tracked Since: Dec 28, 2025

Links: Homepage | formulae.brew.sh

Category: Developer tools

Tags: opengl graphics cross-platform game-dev vulkan

Install: brew install glfw

About:
GLFW is an open-source, multi-platform library designed to simplify OpenGL application development by handling window creation, input management, and context creation. It provides a clean, hardware-agnostic API that abstracts away the differences between operating systems like Windows, macOS, and Linux. Its primary value is enabling developers to focus on rendering logic rather than platform-specific boilerplate code.

Key Features:

Cross-platform window and context management
Input handling for keyboard, mouse, and gamepads
Native access APIs for platform-specific integrations
Vulkan and OpenGL context support

Use Cases:

Developing cross-platform 3D graphics applications
Building game engines or real-time simulations
Creating scientific visualization tools

Alternatives:

SDL2 – SDL2 is a broader multimedia library including audio and networking, while GLFW is focused strictly on graphics windowing and input.
freeglut – FreeGLUT is an older legacy library; GLFW offers a more modern API and better performance.

Version History

Detected	Version	Rev	Change	Commit
Sep 10, 2025 9:12am		0	VERSION_BUMP	b4371bee