graphics - Haskell library for 2D drawing

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Answer 1

Instead of picking individual libraries, I'll have a go at a quick overview at all of them, as listed in the Graphics section on Hackage.

Basic frameworks:

OpenGL

• Part of the Haskell Platform
• Used for many small 2 and 3D games.
• Examples: lambdacube-engine, roguestar-gl, hpong, monadius, raincat, frag

GTK

cabal install cairo

• Used for high quality two-d graphics/vector graphics.
• On Hackage
• Examples: diagrams, 4blocks, gameclock

QTHaskell

• Relatively little use, but when it is used, it is used notably.
• Not on Hackage, found here, due to C++ issues
• Notable users: Nikki and the Robots, a commercial game.

SDL

cabal install sdl

• On Hackage, quite widely used for game-like, interactive apps with 2D graphics.
• Examples: haskgame, Eternal10Seconds, HTicTacToe, RainCat, starrover

X11

cabal install X11

Venerable Unix user interfaces.

Examples: xmonad.

GD

cabal install gd

The GD graphics system. Package on hackage.

Examples: wordcloud, sparklines.

HOgre

cabal install hogre

Bindings to the Ogre game graphics system.

Now, besides these game layers, there are many higher level frameworks and tools:

Diagrams

cabal install diagrams

2D vector diagrams (e.g. for math), built on cairo.

• Examples: fractals.

Gloss

cabal install gloss

2D graphics, very easy interface, relatively new. See TomMD's comment.

• Examples: functional flocking

Cal3D

cabal install cal3d

Bindings to the Cal3D animation package.

Chalkboard

cabal install chalkboard

• URL
• Read the tutorial

OpenGL-based combinators for generating images, used in teaching.

TeaHS

cabal install TeaHS

• URL

A simple library for use creating 2D games, inspired by the Ruby library Tea.