StacKit

A modern, powerful framework for creating beautiful macOS menu bar applications with rich custom layouts

StackIt provides an elegant Python API for building native macOS status bar apps with SwiftUI-inspired layout patterns (hstack/vstack), extensive UI controls, and full SF Symbols support—all built directly on AppKit with zero external dependencies.

Key Features

• Rich Layouts - SwiftUI-inspired hstack/vstack for flexible, declarative layouts
• Extensive Controls - Labels, buttons, sliders, progress bars, text fields, checkboxes, date pickers, charts, and more
• SF Symbols - Full support for Apple's SF Symbols with all rendering modes (hierarchical, palette, multicolor)
• Native Performance - Built directly on AppKit using PyObjC, zero external dependencies
• Lightweight - Minimal footprint, just PyObjC required (usually pre-installed)
• Dynamic Updates - Real-time UI updates with timers and app.update()
• Preferences - Built-in preference storage and retrieval
• Notifications - macOS notification support
• Modern API - Clean, Pythonic interface with direct layout passing

---

Quick Start

Installation

git clone https://github.com/bbalduzz/stackit.git
cd stackit
pip install -e .

Or use it from pypi

pip install stackitui

Requirements:

• macOS 11.0+ (for SF Symbols)
• Python 3.7+
• PyObjC (usually pre-installed on macOS)

Hello World

import stackit

# Create app
app = stackit.StackApp(title="Hello", icon="👋")

# Create a menu item with custom layout
layout = stackit.hstack([
    stackit.label("Hello, World!", bold=True)
])
item = stackit.MenuItem(layout=layout)

app.add(item)
app.run()

Rich Layout Example

import stackit

app = stackit.StackApp(title="Status", icon="📊")

# Create rich dashboard layout
layout = stackit.vstack([
    # Header with icon
    stackit.hstack([
        stackit.image(
            stackit.SFSymbol("chart.bar.fill", size=16, color="blue"),
            width=16, height=16
        ),
        stackit.label("System Status", bold=True)
    ]),
    # Progress indicator
    stackit.label("Loading...", font_size=11, color="gray"),
    stackit.progress_bar(width=200, value=0.75),
    # Action button
    stackit.hstack([
        stackit.spacer(),
        stackit.button("Refresh", callback=lambda s: print("Refreshed!"))
    ])
], spacing=8)

item = stackit.MenuItem(layout=layout)
app.add(item)
app.run()

---

Core Concepts

1. StackApp - Your Application

The main application class that manages your menu bar presence:

app = stackit.StackApp(title="My App", icon="🎯")

# Add menu items (key is optional)
app.add(menu_item)
app.add(menu_item, key="my_key")
app.add_separator()

# Manage appearance
app.set_title("New Title")
app.set_icon(stackit.SFSymbol("star.fill"))

# Run event loop
app.run()

2. MenuItem - Menu Items

Individual menu items with custom layouts:

# Option 1: Pass layout directly
layout = stackit.hstack([
    stackit.label("Status:"),
    stackit.spacer(),
    stackit.label("Online", color="green")
], spacing=8)
item = stackit.MenuItem(layout=layout)

# Option 2: Create empty, then set layout later
item = stackit.MenuItem()
item.set_layout(layout)

# Option 3: Simple text menu item
item = stackit.MenuItem(
    title="Preferences...",
    callback=open_prefs,
    key_equivalent=","  # ⌘,
)

# Option 4: Menu item with submenu
submenu_items = [
    stackit.MenuItem(title="Option 1", callback=func1),
    'separator',
    stackit.MenuItem(title="Option 2", callback=func2)
]
item = stackit.MenuItem(title="Settings ▶", submenu=submenu_items)

# Option 5: Menu item with badge (macOS 14.0+)
item = stackit.MenuItem(title="Updates", badge="updates")
item.set_badge("new-items", count=5)  # With count
item.set_badge(None)  # Remove badge

3. Layouts - hstack & vstack

Arrange UI elements horizontally or vertically (like SwiftUI). These are standalone functions that return StackView objects:

# Horizontal layout - pass controls as list
row = stackit.hstack([
    label1,
    button1,
    stackit.spacer()
], spacing=8)

# Vertical layout - pass controls as list
column = stackit.vstack([
    title_label,
    subtitle_label,
    progress_bar
], spacing=4)

# StackView supports list-like operations
row.append(new_control)
row.insert(0, first_control)
row.extend([control1, control2])

# Nested layouts
main = stackit.vstack([
    stackit.hstack([icon, title, stackit.spacer(), close_button]),
    content_vstack
])

4. Controls - Rich UI Components

StackIt provides a comprehensive set of controls:

Text Controls

stackit.label("Hello", font_size=14, bold=True, color="blue")
stackit.link("Visit Site", url="https://example.com")

Input Controls

stackit.text_field(width=200, placeholder="Enter text")
stackit.secure_text_input(width=200, placeholder="Password")
stackit.search_field(width=200, placeholder="Search...")

Buttons & Selection

stackit.button("Click Me", callback=lambda s: print("Clicked!"))
stackit.checkbox(title="Enable feature", checked=True, callback=on_toggle)
stackit.radio_button(title="Option 1", checked=False, callback=on_select)
stackit.combobox(items=["Option 1", "Option 2"], width=200, callback=on_change)

Progress Indicators

stackit.progress_bar(width=200, value=0.5, show_text=True)
stackit.circular_progress(dimensions=(32, 32), indeterminate=True)
stackit.slider(width=150, min_value=0, max_value=100, value=50, callback=on_change)

Date & Time

stackit.date_picker(callback=on_date_change)
stackit.time_picker(callback=on_time_change)

Layout Helpers

stackit.spacer()  # Flexible spacer
stackit.separator(width=200)  # Visual separator

Images & Icons

# From file
stackit.image("/path/to/image.png", width=24, height=24)

# From SF Symbol
icon = stackit.SFSymbol("star.fill", size=16, color="yellow")
stackit.image(icon, width=16, height=16)

# From URL
stackit.image("https://example.com/logo.png", width=32, height=32)

Custom Blocks & Charts

# Create custom colored blocks for visual indicators
stackit.block(width=100, height=30, color="#FF0000", corner_radius=8.0)

# Line chart for data visualization
stackit.line_chart(data=[10, 20, 15, 30, 25], width=200, height=100)

5. SF Symbols - Apple's Icon System

Full support for SF Symbols with extensive customization:

# Basic symbol
icon = stackit.SFSymbol("star.fill")

# With size and weight
icon = stackit.SFSymbol("gear", size=20, weight="bold")

# With color
icon = stackit.SFSymbol("heart.fill", size=16, color="red")

# Advanced rendering modes
icon = stackit.SFSymbol(
    "gauge.badge.plus",
    size=24,
    weight="semibold",
    rendering="hierarchical"
)

# Multicolor symbols
icon = stackit.SFSymbol(
    "brain.head.profile",
    size=32,
    rendering="multicolor"
)

# Palette mode with multiple colors
icon = stackit.SFSymbol(
    "circle.hexagongrid.circle",
    size=24,
    rendering="palette",
    color="blue",
    secondary_color="red",
    tertiary_color="yellow"
)

Weight options: ultraLight, thin, light, regular, medium, semibold, bold, heavy, black Rendering modes: automatic, monochrome, hierarchical, palette, multicolor Scale options: small, medium, large

Browse symbols at: https://developer.apple.com/sf-symbols/

6. Utilities - Helper Functions

# Alerts
result = stackit.alert("Title", "Message", ok="Yes", cancel="No")

# Notifications
stackit.notification("Title", "Subtitle", "Message body")

# Timers
timer = stackit.every(5.0, callback_function)  # Repeating
timer = stackit.after(2.0, callback_function)  # One-shot

# File selection
path = stackit.choose_directory(title="Select Folder")

# Preferences
stackit.save_preferences("MyApp", {"key": "value"})
prefs = stackit.load_preferences("MyApp", defaults={"key": "default"})

# Application control
stackit.quit_application()

---

Real-World Examples

System Monitor

import stackit
import psutil

class SystemMonitor:
    def __init__(self):
        self.app = stackit.StackApp(title="System", icon="💻")
        self.item = stackit.MenuItem()
        self.app.add(self.item, key="stats")
        self.timer = stackit.every(3.0, self.update)

    def update(self, timer):
        cpu = psutil.cpu_percent() / 100.0
        mem = psutil.virtual_memory().percent / 100.0

        layout = stackit.vstack([
            # CPU
            stackit.label("CPU", font_size=11, bold=True),
            stackit.progress_bar(width=180, value=cpu),
            # Memory
            stackit.label("Memory", font_size=11, bold=True),
            stackit.progress_bar(width=180, value=mem)
        ], spacing=6)

        self.item.set_layout(layout)
        self.app.update()

    def run(self):
        self.update(None)
        self.app.run()

if __name__ == "__main__":
    SystemMonitor().run()

Network Status Indicator

import stackit
import subprocess

class NetworkMonitor:
    def __init__(self):
        self.app = stackit.StackApp(title="Net")
        self.connected = True
        self.item = stackit.MenuItem()
        self.app.add(self.item, key="status")
        stackit.every(30.0, self.check_network)
        self.check_network(None)

    def check_network(self, timer):
        try:
            subprocess.check_call(
                ["ping", "-c", "1", "8.8.8.8"],
                stdout=subprocess.DEVNULL,
                stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL,
                timeout=5
            )
            self.connected = True
        except:
            self.connected = False

        # Update UI
        icon_name = "wifi" if self.connected else "wifi.slash"
        color = "green" if self.connected else "red"

        layout = stackit.hstack([
            stackit.image(
                stackit.SFSymbol(icon_name, size=16, color=color),
                width=16, height=16
            ),
            stackit.label(
                "Connected" if self.connected else "Disconnected",
                color=color
            )
        ], spacing=8)

        self.item.set_layout(layout)

        # Update app icon
        self.app.set_icon(stackit.SFSymbol(icon_name, size=16))

    def run(self):
        self.app.run()

if __name__ == "__main__":
    NetworkMonitor().run()

Timer App

import stackit
import time

class TimerApp:
    def __init__(self):
        self.app = stackit.StackApp(title="Timer", icon="⏱")
        self.start_time = time.time()
        self.item = stackit.MenuItem()
        self.app.add(self.item, key="time")

        # Reset button
        reset = stackit.MenuItem(
            title="Reset",
            callback=self.reset
        )
        self.app.add(reset)

        stackit.every(1.0, self.update)

    def update(self, timer):
        elapsed = int(time.time() - self.start_time)
        minutes, seconds = divmod(elapsed, 60)

        layout = stackit.hstack([
            stackit.label("Time:", bold=True),
            stackit.spacer(),
            stackit.label(f"{minutes:02d}:{seconds:02d}", font_size=14)
        ], spacing=8)

        self.item.set_layout(layout)

    def reset(self, sender):
        self.start_time = time.time()

    def run(self):
        self.update(None)
        self.app.run()

if __name__ == "__main__":
    TimerApp().run()

---

📖 Documentation

Full documentation is available in the docs/ directory:

• Installation Guide - Setup and requirements
• Quick Start - Get started quickly
• API Reference - Complete API documentation
  • Core - StackApp, MenuItem, StackView, hstack, vstack
  • Controls - All UI controls
  • SF Symbols - SF Symbol support
  • Utils - Utility functions
  • Delegate - Application lifecycle
• Examples - Complete working examples

Building Documentation

cd docs
pip install sphinx sphinx-rtd-theme
make html
open _build/html/index.html

---

🏗️ Project Structure

stackit/
├── __init__.py          # Main exports and API
├── core.py              # StackApp, MenuItem, StackView, hstack, vstack
├── controls.py          # UI control creation functions
├── sfsymbol.py          # SF Symbol support
├── utils.py             # Utility functions (alerts, timers, etc.)
├── delegate.py          # Application delegate (lifecycle, callbacks)
├── docs/                # Sphinx documentation
│   ├── index.rst
│   ├── installation.rst
│   ├── quickstart.rst
│   ├── examples.rst
│   └── api/
│       ├── core.rst
│       ├── controls.rst
│       ├── sfsymbol.rst
│       ├── utils.rst
│       └── delegate.rst
├── examples/            # Example applications
│   ├── controls_demo.py
│   ├── blocks_demo.py
│   ├── timer.py
│   └── sfsymbol_rendering_modes.py
└── README.md

---

Design Philosophy

1. Native First - Built directly on AppKit for true native macOS integration
2. Modern API - SwiftUI-inspired layouts (hstack/vstack) with Pythonic syntax
3. Zero Bloat - No unnecessary dependencies, minimal footprint
4. Flexibility - From simple status indicators to complex dashboards
5. Developer Experience - Intuitive, well-documented, easy to learn

---

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit issues, fork the repository, and create pull requests.

--

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details

---

Use Cases

StackIt is perfect for:

• System Monitors - CPU, memory, disk, network status
• Development Tools - Build status, test results, CI/CD indicators
• Productivity Apps - Timers, todo lists, quick notes
• Media Controllers - Music players, volume controls, podcast managers
• Quick Actions - Shortcuts, utilities, toggles, launchers
• Status Indicators - Service health, API status, background tasks
• Information Dashboards - Weather, stocks, crypto prices, news feeds

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🔗 Comparison with rumps

This package has been created to fill the void that other packages (like rumps) left: no customisation and very limiting layout options. Although rumps has been an inspiration, StackIt is NOT based on rumps. It's a completely standalone framework with:

• No rumps dependency - built directly on PyObjC/AppKit
• Rich custom layouts - hstack/vstack for complex UIs
• More controls - extensive UI component library
• Better SF Symbols support - full customization
• Modern API design - declarative, composable layouts

If you're looking for a simple, rumps-like API, rumps is great. If you need rich, custom layouts with advanced UI controls, StacKit is for you.

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Tips & Tricks

Dynamic Updates

Update menu items in real-time by recreating their layout:

def update_status(self):
    item = self.app.get("status")
    new_layout = stackit.hstack([
        stackit.label(f"Status: {self.current_status}")
    ])
    item.set_layout(new_layout)
    self.app.update()  # Force redraw

Callback Functions

Use Python callbacks for control actions:

# Lambda callback
btn = stackit.button("Click", callback=lambda s: print("Clicked!"))

# Method callback
def on_click(self, sender):
    print("Button clicked!")

btn = stackit.button("Click", callback=self.on_click)

Spacers for Alignment

Use spacers to push elements to opposite ends:

layout = stackit.hstack([
    stackit.label("Left"),
    stackit.spacer(),  # Pushes everything after to the right
    stackit.label("Right")
])

Complex Nested Layouts

Build sophisticated UIs with nested stacks:

# Build nested layout
main = stackit.vstack([
    # Header row
    stackit.hstack([
        icon,
        title,
        stackit.spacer(),
        close_btn
    ]),
    # Content section
    stackit.vstack([
        subtitle,
        progress,
        status_text
    ], spacing=4),
    # Footer with buttons
    stackit.hstack([
        stackit.spacer(),
        cancel_btn,
        ok_btn
    ])
], spacing=8)

item = stackit.MenuItem(layout=main)

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