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Introduction

Tessera is a C#-first terminal UI framework for teams building real product shells, not throwaway demos.

It keeps one public app-authoring path from first screen to dense multi-pane software:

  • install one package
  • derive from TesseraApp
  • build screens with Screen.Build(...)
  • compose with Tessera.Controls and Tessera.Layout
  • scale into dashboards, workflows, and inspectors without switching framework model

Install in one line​

bash.sh
dotnet add package Tessera

Then continue with Installation and Your First App.

Why teams choose Tessera​

  • Product-first app model: explicit Initialize, Update(Message), and Build(ScreenContext) lifecycle
  • TEA-inspired flow: state + message update + view rebuild in a .NET-native terminal runtime
  • Single mental model: starter apps and flagship showcases use the same public API lane
  • Widget depth: forms, navigation, grids, inspectors, overlays, dashboards, and plot surfaces
  • Theme-first visuals: semantic tokens, control defaults, and instance/state overrides
  • Runtime control when needed: screen options and runtime policy without forcing host-heavy setup

At a glance sample​

csharp.cs
using Tessera;
using Tessera.Controls;
using Tessera.Layout;

var app = TesseraApplication.CreateBuilder()
    .UseApp<OrdersApp>()
    .Build();

await app.RunAsync();

internal sealed class OrdersApp : TesseraApp
{
    public override TesseraEffect? Update(Message message) => null;

    public override Screen Build(ScreenContext context) =>
        Screen.Build(window => window.Body(body => body.Center(new Button { Text = "Open orders" }, 24, 3)));
}
  1. Installation
  2. Your First App
  3. Starter Examples
  4. Flagship Evaluation
  5. Widget Reference
  6. Architectural Review