Introduction to irgo

irgo is a hypermedia-driven application framework that uses Go as a runtime kernel with HTMX. Build native iOS, Android, and desktop apps using Go, HTML, and HTMX - no JavaScript frameworks required.

The Hypermedia Approach

Unlike traditional mobile and desktop frameworks that require learning platform-specific languages and UI toolkits, irgo takes a different approach: HTML is your UI layer.

Your Go code renders HTML templates. HTMX handles interactivity by making requests back to your Go handlers, which return HTML fragments. The framework handles the rest - whether that's routing requests through a native bridge on mobile or serving them over HTTP on desktop.

User Interaction → HTMX Request → Go Handler → Templ Template → HTML Response → DOM Update

Key Features

• Go-Powered Apps: Write your backend logic in Go, compile to native mobile frameworks or desktop apps
• HTMX for Interactivity: Use HTMX's hypermedia approach instead of complex JavaScript
• Cross-Platform: Single codebase for iOS, Android, desktop (macOS, Windows, Linux), and web
• Virtual HTTP (Mobile): No network sockets - requests are intercepted and handled directly by Go
• Native Webview (Desktop): Real HTTP server with native webview window
• Type-Safe Templates: Use templ for compile-time checked HTML templates
• Hot Reload Development: Edit Go/templ code and see changes instantly

Platform Support

irgo supports four deployment modes:

Prerequisites

Before getting started, make sure you have:

• Go 1.21 or later
• templ: go install github.com/a-h/templ/cmd/templ@latest
• air (for hot reload): go install github.com/air-verse/air@latest

Quick Example

Here's a taste of what irgo code looks like:

package handlersimport (    "myapp/templates"    "github.com/stukennedy/irgo/pkg/render"    "github.com/stukennedy/irgo/pkg/router")func Hello(ctx *router.Context) (string, error) {    name := ctx.Query("name")    if name == "" {        name = "World"    }    return renderer.Render(templates.Greeting(name))}

package templatestempl Greeting(name string) {    <div class="greeting">        <h1>Hello, { name }!</h1>        <form hx-get="/hello" hx-target="closest .greeting" hx-swap="outerHTML">            <input type="text" name="name" placeholder="Enter a name" />            <button type="submit">Greet</button>        </form>    </div>}

AI Coding Assistants

If you're using an AI coding assistant (like Claude, Cursor, or GitHub Copilot), point it to our llms.txt file. This provides comprehensive instructions for writing irgo applications, including handler patterns, templ syntax, HTMX integration, and WebSocket usage.

Next Steps

Ready to build your first irgo app? Head to the Quick Start guide.