Platform Differences

Behavior differences across Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Window Management

Title Bar

Feature	Windows	macOS	Linux
Custom title bar	Supported	Limited	Varies by WM
Traffic lights position	N/A	Left	N/A
Menu in title bar	Supported	System menu bar	Supported

Window Decorations

Windows: Standard Win32 decorations
macOS: Native NSWindow decorations
Linux: Depends on window manager (X11/Wayland)

Styling

System Colors

Use SystemTheme::accent_color() for the platform accent color.

Platform	Accent Color Source
Windows	WinRT UISettings
macOS	NSColor.controlAccentColor
Linux	XDG Portal (if available)

Dark Mode

Use SystemTheme::color_scheme() to detect light/dark mode.

Platform	Detection Method
Windows	AppsUseLightTheme registry
macOS	NSApp.effectiveAppearance
Linux	XDG Portal color-scheme

Text Rendering

Font Selection

System fonts vary by platform:

Windows: Segoe UI
macOS: SF Pro / San Francisco
Linux: System dependent (often DejaVu)

Font Rendering

Feature	Windows	macOS	Linux
Subpixel AA	ClearType	Native	FreeType
Font hinting	Strong	None	Configurable

Input

Keyboard

Feature	Windows	macOS	Linux
Command key	Ctrl	Cmd	Ctrl
Context menu	Application key	Ctrl+Click	Application key
IME	TSF	Input Sources	IBus/Fcitx

Touch

Feature	Windows	macOS	Linux
Touch events	Native	Native	Via libinput
Gestures	WM_GESTURE	NSEvent	Limited

File System

Path Conventions

Platform	Config Dir	Data Dir
Windows	`%APPDATA%`	`%LOCALAPPDATA%`
macOS	`~/Library/Application Support`	Same
Linux	`~/.config`	`~/.local/share`

Use platform::directories() for cross-platform paths.

Known Limitations

Linux

High contrast detection not fully implemented
Some advanced clipboard formats not supported on Wayland
Native file dialogs depend on portal availability

macOS

Custom title bar colors limited
Some animations may differ from system style

Windows

DPI scaling may require manifest for older apps
Per-monitor DPI awareness needs explicit opt-in

Graphics Backend

Renderer Selection

Platform	Primary Backend	Fallback
Windows	Direct3D 12	Vulkan, Direct3D 11
macOS	Metal	-
Linux	Vulkan	OpenGL

Performance Considerations

use horizon_lattice::render::GraphicsConfig;

// Force specific backend
let config = GraphicsConfig::new()
    .with_preferred_backend(Backend::Vulkan);

Clipboard

Supported Formats

Format	Windows	macOS	Linux
Text	Full	Full	Full
HTML	Full	Full	Partial
Images	Full	Full	X11 only
Files	Full	Full	Wayland limited

Async Clipboard (Wayland)

On Wayland, clipboard operations may be asynchronous:

use horizon_lattice::clipboard::Clipboard;

// Prefer async API on Wayland
Clipboard::get_text_async(|text| {
    if let Some(t) = text {
        println!("Got: {}", t);
    }
});

Drag and Drop

Feature	Windows	macOS	Linux
File drops	Full	Full	Full
Custom data	Full	Full	Partial
Drag images	Full	Full	X11 only

Window Behavior

Fullscreen

// Native fullscreen (best integration)
window.set_fullscreen(FullscreenMode::Native);

// Borderless fullscreen (consistent across platforms)
window.set_fullscreen(FullscreenMode::Borderless);

Mode	Windows	macOS	Linux
Native	Win32	NSWindow	WM dependent
Borderless	Consistent	Consistent	Consistent

Always on Top

window.set_always_on_top(true);

Works consistently across all platforms.

Transparency

window.set_transparent(true);
window.set_opacity(0.9);

Feature	Windows	macOS	Linux
Window opacity	Full	Full	Compositor dependent
Transparent regions	Full	Full	Compositor dependent

Dialogs

Native Dialogs

Dialog	Windows	macOS	Linux
File Open/Save	IFileDialog	NSOpenPanel	Portal/GTK
Color Picker	ChooseColor	NSColorPanel	Portal/GTK
Font Picker	ChooseFont	NSFontPanel	Portal/GTK
Message Box	MessageBox	NSAlert	Portal/GTK

Linux Portal Integration

On Linux, Horizon Lattice uses XDG Desktop Portal when available:

use horizon_lattice::platform::linux;

// Check if portals are available
if linux::portals_available() {
    // Native dialogs will use portals
} else {
    // Falls back to GTK dialogs
}

Keyboard Shortcuts

Modifier Key Mapping

Action	Windows/Linux	macOS
Copy	Ctrl+C	Cmd+C
Paste	Ctrl+V	Cmd+V
Cut	Ctrl+X	Cmd+X
Undo	Ctrl+Z	Cmd+Z
Redo	Ctrl+Y	Cmd+Shift+Z
Select All	Ctrl+A	Cmd+A
Save	Ctrl+S	Cmd+S
Find	Ctrl+F	Cmd+F
Close Window	Alt+F4	Cmd+W
Quit	Alt+F4	Cmd+Q

Horizon Lattice automatically maps shortcuts appropriately per platform.

Accessibility

Screen Readers

Platform	Supported API
Windows	UI Automation
macOS	NSAccessibility
Linux	AT-SPI2

High Contrast

use horizon_lattice::platform::SystemTheme;

if SystemTheme::is_high_contrast() {
    // Adjust colors for visibility
}

Platform	Detection
Windows	SystemParametersInfo
macOS	NSWorkspace
Linux	Portal (partial)

Locale and Text

Input Methods

Platform	IME Framework
Windows	TSF (Text Services Framework)
macOS	Input Sources
Linux	IBus, Fcitx, XIM

Right-to-Left Text

Full RTL support on all platforms. Use TextDirection::Auto for automatic detection:

use horizon_lattice::text::TextDirection;

label.set_text_direction(TextDirection::Auto);

Keyboard shortcuts

Horizon Lattice Guide