ReXamples - plain C examples for ReAction GUI

Independent native ReAction teaching examples for AmigaOS 3.2+
Plain C89 lessons for disciplined system-native GUI development

ReXamples is a focused teaching project for ReAction on AmigaOS 3.2+.

It exists to show how graphical applications should be structured when built in a native AmigaOS style using:

• ReAction
• Intuition
• BOOPSI
• standard AmigaOS event and lifecycle patterns

All examples are written in plain C89 and are intentionally designed to be:

• small
• readable
• self-contained
• resource-safe
• deterministic in cleanup
• event-driven by design

Project goals

ReXamples teaches:

• how to build native ReAction windows and layouts
• how to use common AmigaOS GUI components correctly
• how to handle gadget and menu events cleanly
• how to structure small GUI programs with explicit ownership and predictable cleanup
• how to think in native AmigaOS terms instead of importing habits from other GUI systems

Non-goals

ReXamples does not aim to:

• imitate other GUI systems
• preserve foreign naming, structure, or mental models
• hide ReAction behind heavy abstraction layers
• teach framework-agnostic GUI design
• optimize architecture around backward-compatibility concerns
• trade clarity and correctness for clever shortcuts

Design principles

Each example follows the same core rules:

• one example, one lesson
• plain C89
• native system components
• explicit ownership
• cleanup-first error handling
• event-driven structure
• clarity over cleverness

Target platform

• Primary target: AmigaOS 3.2.3+
• Reference SDK: NDK 3.2R4
• Language: C89
• Recommended toolchain: vbcc

Repository structure

Each lesson is self-contained and focuses on one core concept.

Suggested learning order:

1. 01_Window
2. 02_Layout
3. 03_Button
4. 04_CheckBox
5. 05_Chooser
6. 06_String
7. 07_TextEditor
8. 08_ListBrowser
9. 09_RadioChoice
10. 10_Image
11. 11_Slider
12. 12_Space
13. 13_Frame
14. 14_Menu_Basic
15. 15_Menu_Advanced
16. 16_Gauge
17. 17_TextDisplay
18. 18_ScrollableLayout
19. 19_RegisterPages
20. 20_EventDispatch

See docs/curriculum.md for the full learning path.

What defines ReXamples

ReXamples is built to show not only what works, but what good native style looks like on AmigaOS:

• libraries and classes are opened deliberately
• objects are disposed explicitly
• partial initialization failures are rolled back correctly
• event handling remains visible and understandable
• each lesson stays focused on a single teaching goal

Documentation

ReXamples treats documentation as part of the teaching contract.

The project documentation is organized as follows:

• docs/manifesto.md — project identity and intent
• docs/rules.md — core project rules
• docs/style-guide.md — code style baseline
• docs/documentation-style.md — structured in-code documentation rules
• docs/curriculum.md — lesson sequence and teaching progression
• docs/review-template.md — review checklist
• docs/review-blockers.md — hard rejection criteria

Audience

ReXamples is for:

• developers learning ReAction
• Amiga programmers who want a native GUI reference
• C programmers looking for small and disciplined AmigaOS examples
• developers who value correctness, maintainability, and system integration

Identity

ReXamples is an independent native ReAction teaching repository.

Its purpose is not comparison, emulation, or adaptation.
Its purpose is to teach ReAction on its own terms, in a form that is clear, disciplined, and genuinely useful for AmigaOS development.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome, but ReXamples accepts teaching-quality native examples only.

Please read:

• CONTRIBUTING.md
• docs/manifesto.md
• docs/rules.md
• docs/style-guide.md

before submitting changes.

Verified build status

The core lesson series 01 through 20 has been verified to build in the current repository baseline.

This is not just an intended curriculum structure. It is a build-proven native teaching series for:

• AmigaOS 3.2+
• NDK 3.2R4
• vbcc
• plain C89

The current implementation line is intentionally conservative and explicit:

• A-Forms instead of convenience-heavy construction
• explicit window methods
• explicit ownership and cleanup
• explicit event dispatch
• no foreign framework layer
• no hidden callback architecture

See docs/technical-baseline.md for the compact record of the implementation line that has actually been validated.

License

ReXamples uses a split-license model.

• Source code is licensed under the MIT License
• Written teaching material and prose documentation are licensed separately

This keeps the code openly reusable while preserving the written teaching material as a distinct body of work.

See LICENSE and LICENSE.docs for details.