---
name: "gtk4-builder-tool"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "gtk4"
version: "1:4.24.1-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/gtk4-builder-tool"
---

# gtk4-builder-tool(1)

GtkBuilder File Utility

## Name

gtk4-builder-tool - GtkBuilder File Utility

## SYNOPSIS

```
gtk4-builder-tool <COMMAND> [OPTIONS...] <FILE>
gtk4-builder-tool validate [OPTIONS...] <FILE>
gtk4-builder-tool enumerate [OPTIONS...] <FILE>
gtk4-builder-tool simplify [OPTIONS...] <FILE>
gtk4-builder-tool preview [OPTIONS...] <FILE>
gtk4-builder-tool render [OPTIONS...] <FILE>
gtk4-builder-tool screenshot [OPTIONS...] <FILE>
```

## DESCRIPTION

**gtk4-builder-tool** can perform various operations on GtkBuilder UI definition files.

## COMMANDS

### Validation

The **validate** command validates the given UI definition file and reports errors to **stderr**.

Note that there are limitations to the validation that can be done for templates, since they are closely tied to the class\_init function they are used in. If your UI file uses types from third-party libraries, it may help to add those libraries to the *LD\_PRELOAD* environment variable.

- **--deprecations**

  Warn about uses of deprecated types in the UI definition file.

### Enumeration

The **enumerate** command prints all the named objects that are present in the UI definition file.

- **--callbacks**

  Print the names of callbacks as well.

### Preview

The **preview** command displays the UI definition file.

This command accepts options to specify the ID of the toplevel object and a CSS file to use.

- **--id=ID**

  The ID of the object to preview. If not specified, gtk4-builder-tool will choose a suitable object on its own.

- **--css=FILE**

  Load style information from the given CSS file.

### Render

The **render** command saves a rendering of the UI definition file as a png image or node file. The name of the file to write can be specified as a second FILE argument.

This command accepts options to specify the ID of the toplevel object and a CSS file to use.

- **--id=ID**

  The ID of the object to preview. If not specified, gtk4-builder-tool will choose a suitable object on its own.

- **--css=FILE**

  Load style information from the given CSS file.

- **--node**

  Write a serialized node file instead of a png image.

- **--force**

  Overwrite an existing file.

### Screenshot

The **screenshot** command is an alias for **render**.

### Simplification

The **simplify** command simplifies the UI definition file by removing properties that are set to their default values and writes the resulting XML to the standard output, or back to the input file.

When the **--3to4** option is specified, the **simplify** command interprets the input as a GTK 3 UI definuition file and attempts to convert it to GTK 4 equivalents. It performs various conversions, such as renaming properties, translating child properties to layout properties, rewriting the setup for GtkNotebook, GtkStack, GtkAssistant  or changing toolbars into boxes.

You should always test the modified UI definition files produced by gtk4-builder-tool before using them in production.

Note in particular that the conversion done with **--3to4** is meant as a starting point for a port from GTK 3 to GTK 4. It is expected that you will have to do manual fixups  after the initial conversion.

- **--replace**

  Write the content back to the UI definition file instead of using the standard output.

- **--3to4**

  Transform a GTK 3 UI definition file to the equivalent GTK 4 definitions.