If you know how to build a website you can build desktop app’s with the Electron framework.
As an introduction to the framework we’ll create a simple desktop clock application.
Before getting started it’s recommended to have a current version of node.js installed.
Ok, first let’s create the folder/file structure required for this project:
electron-test/
├─ package.json
├─ index.js
├─ index.html
├─ script.js
├─ style.css
package.json
This file Indicates which command to run when we start the application:
{
"name": "electron-test",
"main": "index.js",
"scripts": {
"start": "electron ."
}
}
Note: Don’t use "name": "electron" or the Electron installation will fail.
Install Electron
Open up a new terminal window in the project folder and then run the install:
npm install --save-dev electron
This downloads all the required node modules and adds the dev dependency to our package.json.
index.js
This file is used to create windows and handle system events.
For our clock app we’ll create a small (190×80) fixed size browser window:
const { app, BrowserWindow } = require("electron");
app.whenReady().then(createWindow);
function createWindow() {
const win = new BrowserWindow({
width: 190,
height: 80,
resizable: false,
});
win.loadFile("index.html");
}
index.html
Very basic HTML file that loads the CSS and JS for the the clock functionality:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8" />
<title>Clock App</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="style.css" />
</head>
<body>
<script src="script.js"></script>
</body>
</html>
script.js
Fetch’s the current time and updates it each second (1000 milliseconds) in the index.html.
function getTime() {
time = new Date().toLocaleTimeString();
document.body.innerHTML = time;
}
setInterval(getTime, 1000);
style.css
Lastly the CSS to improve the appearance of our clock:
body {
font-family: monospace;
font-size: 32px;
background-color: black;
color: greenyellow;
text-align: center;
}
The monospace font prevents the clocks position shifting when the numbers change.
Start the application
We can now start our application by running the following command:
npm start
Top comments (5)
How does make into an app after this ? I have followed all the steps what do we do next ?
You can use a tool called electron-builder
It requires minimal configuration and is super easy.
@Sandeep Thank you. Will check it out.
Take a look at "Electron Fiddle", allows you to Compile & Package:
Fiddle can automatically turn your experiment into binaries you can share with your friends, coworkers, or grandparents. It does so thanks to electron-forge, allowing you to package your fiddle as an app for Windows, macOS, or Linux.
electronjs.org/fiddle
Cool guide easy to follow. So any front end developer could potentially add a new skill boosting job prospects.