Building an App with Electron React

React and Electron

A desktop program often takes a lot of effort to create. Each platform you are aiming at has a different language, set of tools, and workflows that you must understand. For instance, you would use Visual Studio to develop the application for Windows, and only Windows users would be able to use it.

How are the identical applications made for Linux and Mac? You'll need to familiarise yourself with each platform's language and create the same application separately. For the same application, you will require three separate codebases.

But you can create cross-platform applications with ease if you have a working knowledge of JavaScript and React. This is where Electron comes into play.

Electron is a popular open-source framework that allows developers to create cross-platform desktop applications using web technologies, such as JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. It was developed by GitHub and is used by many companies and organizations to build desktop applications, including Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Visual Studio Code. It's also feasible to create desktop applications with Electron using JavaScript frameworks like React and Vue.

Observations on Electron's architecture: Being platform-agnostic, Electron is not dependent on any one particular platform, language, framework, or tool. Electron is based on Chromium, the open-source web browser that is also used by Google Chrome, and Node.js, a JavaScript runtime that allows developers to build scalable network applications. This allows Electron react applications to have the same performance and capabilities as native desktop applications, while also allowing developers to use web technologies that they are already familiar with.

Electron and React can be used together to create powerful and performant desktop applications. In a React app that uses Electron, the React components are responsible for rendering the user interface and handling user interactions, while Electron provides access to native features of the operating system, such as the file system and system notifications. This allows developers to create desktop applications that have the same fast, responsive, and modern feel as modern web applications but with the added benefits of running as a native desktop app.

Ejecting and Why Should We Avoid It?

For the settings required for React development, the majority use webpack. The majority of the React community has chosen to use webpack instead of alternatives like Gulp and Grunt as configuration and build tools.

There are other boilerplate and application generators available, and the configuration ov.erhead varies, but in July 2016, Facebook Incubator launched a tool called create-react-app. The majority of the settings are hidden, and the developer may run and create their apps using straightforward commands like npm start and npm run build.

Ejecting refers to the process of removing the default configuration provided by the create-react-app or create-react-native-app tools and exposing all the underlying build dependencies and configuration files. This allows developers to have full control over the build process and customize it to their needs.

While ejecting can be useful in some situations, it is generally recommended to avoid ejecting unless necessary. This is because ejecting permanently modifies the project configuration and makes it difficult or impossible to go back to the default configuration provided by create-react-app or create-react-native-app. Additionally, ejecting exposes a large number of low-level configuration options that most developers do not need to worry about, which can make the project more difficult to maintain and understand.

In general, it is best to avoid ejecting unless you have a specific reason for doing so and you are familiar with the build process and the underlying configuration options. If you do need to customize the build process, it is often better to use available options and plugins that allow you to modify the configuration without ejecting. This can help ensure that your project remains maintainable and easy to understand.

Electron React Boilerplate

There is no "one true way" to create, produce, package, or distribute an Electron react application because Electron development is non-opinionated. Individual packages for additional Electron functionality, both for build- and run-time, are typically available on npm, enabling developers to create the app and build the pipeline they require.

With such a high degree of modularity and extensibility, all developers working with Electron, regardless of the size of their team, are never constrained in what they can or cannot achieve. However, for many developers, compiling, packaging, and releasing an app might be made far simpler by using one of the community-driven boilerplates or command-line tools.

Electron-react-boilerplate

An Electron React boilerplate is a starter project that provides a basic structure for building an Electron application using the React JavaScript library. It typically includes a configuration file for setting up Electron, a package.json file for managing dependencies, and a set of React components and files for building the application's user interface.

There are many different Electron React boilerplates available, and they can vary in terms of the features and tools they include. Some common features of Electron React boilerplates include:

• Support for building and packaging the application for multiple platforms (e.g., Windows, macOS, Linux).
• Scripts for development, testing, and production builds.
• Configuration for Electron features such as notifications, auto-updates, and crash reporting.
• Support for React libraries and tools such as Redux, MobX, or Jest.

Using an Electron React boilerplate can be a helpful way to get started with building an Electron application, as it provides a basic structure and configuration that you can build upon. However, you should be aware that boilerplates can also include a lot of unnecessary code and dependencies, and it's important to review and customize the boilerplate to fit your specific needs.

Boilerplate Vs CLI

A boilerplate is merely a foundation, or canvas, on which you can create your application. They often take the form of a repository that you may clone and edit whatever you like.

On the other hand, a command-line tool keeps assisting you during development and release. They are more encouraging and helpful, but they also enforce rules on the organization and development of your code. Using a command line tool is probably going to be beneficial, especially for novices.

What is Electron-Forge?

Electron Forge is a tool for creating, testing, and packaging Electron applications. It is designed to be easy to use and requires minimal configuration, making it a popular choice for developers who want to quickly set up and build an Electron project.

Some of the key features of Electron Forge include:

• A command-line interface (CLI) for creating, building, and testing Electron projects.
• Support for automatic rebuilds and hot reloading during development.
• A configuration file for specifying project details, such as the application's name and version, as well as Electron-specific options like window size and menu items.
• Integration with popular build tools like Webpack and Babel for transpiling and bundling code.
• Support for packaging the application for multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Overall, Electron Forge is a useful tool for simplifying the process of building and testing Electron applications. It can save time and effort by automating many of the tasks involved in setting up and maintaining an Electron project.

What is Electron-Builder?

Electron-builder is an integrated experience-focused "full solution to package and build a ready-for-distribution Electron app." To keep things simple, the electron-builder only adds one dependency and takes care of all other needs internally.

Electron-Builder substitutes customized features and modules for those used by the Electron maintainers (such as the auto-updater). Although they will share less with well-known Electron programs like Atom, Visual Studio Code, or Slack, they are typically more tightly linked.

Some of the key features of Electron Builder include:

• A command-line interface (CLI) for building and packaging Electron projects.
• Support for building and packaging the application for multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, and Linux.
• Automatic code signing for Windows and macOS platforms.
• Support for creating installers and auto-update files.

Building an Electron App with React

To build a React Electron app, you can follow the steps given below:

1. Install Node.js and npm (Node Package Manager). These tools are required to build Electron apps.
2. Create a new directory for your project and navigate to it in your terminal.
3. Initialize a new npm project by running npm init. This will create a package.json file in your project directory.
4. Install Electron and React by running npm install --save electron react. This will add Electron and React as dependencies to your project.
5. Create a new file called main.js in the root of your project directory. This file will be the entry point for your Electron app.
6. In main.js, add the following code to create a new Electron window and load a local HTML file:

7. Create an index.html file in the root of your project directory. This file will be the main HTML file for your app, and it will be loaded by Electron when the app starts.
8. In index.html, add the following code to include the React library and your app's JavaScript file:

9. Create a new file called app.js in the root of your project directory. This file will contain the code for your React app.
10. In app.js, add the following code to create a simple React component:

11. Run your React Electron app by executing electron in the terminal. This will start Electron and load your app.

That's it! You should now have a basic React Electron app running on your machine. You can customize your app by adding additional React components and functionality.

Some Tips While Building Electron App with React

Here are some key tips you should consider when building an Electron React app:

• Start by installing the required dependencies, including Electron, React, and any other libraries you need.
• Set up the project structure, including the main Electron process and the renderer process that will run your React app.
• Use Electron's BrowserWindow class to create a new window for your app, and set the webPreferences option to enable support for React.
• Create a root React component that will be rendered in the main window. This component should be responsible for rendering the rest of your app.
• Use Electron's ipcRenderer and ipcMain modules to communicate between the main process and the renderer process. This can trigger events or send data between the two processes.
• Use Electron's built-in APIs to access native functionality, such as the file system or system tray.
• Consider using a tool like electron-builder to package and distribute your app.
• Test your app on different platforms to ensure it works as expected.
• Follow best practices for building Electron apps, such as minimizing the use of synchronous APIs and minimizing the main process's workload.