Gnome project published the release of the library Libadwaita 1.8, which includes a set of components for the styling of the user interface in accordance with GNOME Human Interface Guidelines. The library provides pre-built widgets and objects for creating applications that maintain the overall GNOME style and can adapt to screens of any size. It is written in the language of C and distributed under the LGPL 2.1+ license.
The Libadwaita library is designed to work with GTK4 and incorporates components from the GNOME design theme Adwaita originally found in GTK. By separating these elements into a standalone library, developers can make GNOME-specific design changes independently from GTK. This separation allows GTK developers to focus on core functionalities while GNOME developers can quickly and flexibly implement style changes without impacting GTK itself.
Libadwaita offers a variety of widgets for creating universal interfaces that function seamlessly on both large PC screens and small touchscreen smartphones. The interface dynamically adjusts based on screen size and input devices, providing a consistent user experience. Additionally, the library includes a collection of Adwaita styles that align with GNOME recommendations, eliminating the need for manual adaptation.
Among the updates in Libadwaita 1.8 is the introduction of a new class adwshortcutsdialog to replace the outdated class gtkshortcutswindow in GTK 4.18. The new class simplifies dialogue navigation for available keyboard shortcuts, streamlining the logic and organization. The library also includes autshortcutlabel which provides information on screen gestures without the use of icons, as previous icon integration led to confusion and limited applicability.