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FAQ

Do I need dependency injection or Generic Host?​

No. The normal public path is library-first.

Use:

  • await TesseraApplication.RunAsync(new MyApp())
  • or TesseraApplication.CreateBuilder().UseApp<TApp>()...

Should I use RunAsync(...) or CreateBuilder()?​

Use:

  • RunAsync(...)
    • for the smallest possible startup
  • CreateBuilder()
    • when you need runtime configuration, theme selection, screen options, or a built application instance

Most real apps will prefer the builder.

Do I need Tessera.Core namespaces to build a normal app?​

No. Keep normal apps in:

  • Tessera
  • Tessera.Controls
  • Tessera.Layout
  • Tessera.Styles

Tessera.Core ships in the same package but is an advanced runtime lane, not the default onboarding path.

What is the fastest way to learn Tessera?​

  1. install-and-prerequisites
  2. first-app
  3. examples
  4. showcase

How do I handle app state?​

Use TesseraApp:

  • Initialize() for first effect
  • Update(Message) for state transitions and effects
  • Build(ScreenContext) for rendering

For small demos, direct event mutation is fine. For real apps, prefer control events that Post(...) domain messages back into Update(...).

How do I theme the app?​

Set theme at runtime:

csharp.cs
runtime.Theme = TesseraThemes.Catppuccin(CatppuccinVariant.Mocha);
runtime.ThemeOverrides = myOverrides;

Then use theme-system for the token and override model.

Start with:

  • Ghostty
  • iTerm2
  • Windows Terminal
  • macOS Terminal

For caveats and capability details, use terminal-font-capability-matrix.

Can I build custom controls?​

Yes. Use Tessera.Controls.Control for the normal custom widget path. That is the supported custom control contract for interactive widgets.

See custom-components.

Where do I find the full control list?​

Use:

Are images part of V1?​

No. The current design contract treats inline image rendering as V1.1 scope, not V1 scope.

See spec for the product boundary.

What examples should I run first?​

Starter ladder:

  1. HelloWorld
  2. CounterForm
  3. WorkspaceApp

Then flagship evaluation:

  1. GitConsole
  2. OpsWatch
  3. DataWorkbench

Use examples and showcase.