whatisgithub

What is gojo-compiler?

joaopssx/gojo-compiler — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-05-18

0CAudience · developerComplexity · 4/5LicenseSetup · moderate

In one sentence

A C program that compiles HTML and CSS files into standalone Windows executables using native Win32 controls, no browser needed.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((gojo-compiler))
    What it does
      Compiles HTML CSS
      Outputs exe files
      No browser needed
    Tech stack
      C99
      Win32 API
      GCC
    How it works
      Lexer
      Parser
      Codegen
      GCC build
    Use cases
      Native desktop apps
      Lightweight utilities
      Learning compilers
    Audience
      Developers
      Hobbyists

Code map

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filefunction / class

What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Turn a simple HTML and CSS mockup into a lightweight native Windows desktop app.

USE CASE 2

Build small Windows utilities without pulling in Electron or a browser engine.

USE CASE 3

Experiment with how HTML elements map onto real Win32 controls like buttons and text fields.

What is it built with?

CWin32 APIGCCMinGW

How does it compare?

joaopssx/gojo-compileracc4github/kdenlive-omnifadealichraghi/linux-audio-headers
Stars00
LanguageCCC
Last pushed2024-01-08
MaintenanceDormant
Setup difficultymoderatemoderateeasy
Complexity4/52/52/5
Audiencedevelopergeneraldeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 30min

Requires GCC via MinGW or MSYS2 on a Windows machine, and the project is Windows-only.

Use freely for any purpose, including commercial use, as long as you keep the copyright notice.

So what is it?

gojo-compiler is a project built in C that turns HTML and CSS files into standalone Windows programs, meaning .exe files you can run directly without needing a browser. Instead of relying on big frameworks like Electron or Chromium to display a webpage as an app, it talks straight to the Windows Win32 API, the low level system that Windows itself uses to draw buttons, text boxes, and other on screen elements. The way it works is broken into four steps. First a lexer reads through your HTML and CSS and turns the text into meaningful pieces, ignoring extra spaces. Then a parser takes those pieces and builds a tree structure representing your page, translating CSS styling rules like colors and sizes into exact numbers. After that, a code generator writes C code from that tree, matching HTML tags to their Windows equivalents, so a button in your HTML becomes an actual Windows button control. Finally, the project uses GCC, a widely used C compiler, to turn that generated C code into a finished executable, complete with the visual styling Windows expects from modern apps. A range of common HTML elements are supported, including buttons, text and password input fields, multiline text areas, dropdown menus, and headings or paragraphs rendered with the same font Windows uses elsewhere. Basic flexbox style layouts also work, with the tool calculating where each element should sit on the screen. To use it, you need GCC installed on a Windows machine, available through tools like MinGW or MSYS2. After cloning the project and running its build script, you compile your own HTML file into an executable and run it directly, no separate installer needed. This is a small, playful solo project, more of a creative experiment in pushing HTML and CSS past their usual role than a production ready tool. It has zero stars so far and carries the MIT license, meaning you are free to use, modify, and share it as you like.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Explain how gojo-compiler's lexer, parser, codegen, and GCC stages fit together to produce an .exe.
Prompt 2
Help me write an HTML and CSS file that gojo-compiler can turn into a working calculator app.
Prompt 3
Walk me through installing GCC via MSYS2 so I can build gojo-compiler on Windows.
Prompt 4
Show me which HTML elements gojo-compiler supports and their Win32 equivalents.
Prompt 5
Help me debug why my flexbox layout isn't positioning correctly after compiling with gojo.

Frequently asked questions

What is gojo-compiler?

A C program that compiles HTML and CSS files into standalone Windows executables using native Win32 controls, no browser needed.

What language is gojo-compiler written in?

Mainly C. The stack also includes C, Win32 API, GCC.

What license does gojo-compiler use?

Use freely for any purpose, including commercial use, as long as you keep the copyright notice.

How hard is gojo-compiler to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated moderate, with roughly 30min to a first successful run.

Who is gojo-compiler for?

Mainly developer.

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