This document discusses JavaScript desktop applications and compares different frameworks for building them, including Electron, Node-Webkit, and MacGap. It outlines key differences between web and desktop applications, such as access to the operating system and native functionality. The document provides an overview of features like the main and render processes in Electron, communicating between them, and options for storage, distribution, and other tasks in JavaScript desktop applications.

1. Desktop Apps in a
Javascript World
Marc MacLeod
@marbemac

2. Me
PHP -> Ruby -> Python -> Node / Go
Vanilla -> Backbone -> Ember -> Meteor -> React
Backend
Frontend
<3 Techstars & Austin

3. StopLight (https://stoplight.io)

4. JS Desktop Apps? What’s the difference?
Web
Desktop

5. access to node
JS Desktop Apps? What’s the difference?
access to packages (npm)
access to OS specific functionality / features
app stores!

6. Electron
Node-Webkit
(NW.js)
MacGap
Sponsor Github Intel N/A
Node? Yes Yes No
OS X Store Maybe Maybe Yes
Windows Store Yes Yes No
Auto-Update Included? Yes No No
Native OS Bindings Yes Yes Yes
Size > 60mb > 60mb ~1mb
The Landscape

7. http://electron.atom.io/

8. https://github.com/marbemac/electric-tunes
Let’s build an app

9. Main Process vs Render Processes
main.js

10. Sprinkle in some Node (io.js)
app.js

11. Sprinkle in some native
main.js

12. IPC!
main -> render
render -> main
Communicating between main and render processes

13. electron-packager
Distribution
https://github.com/maxogden/electron-packager

14. Storage / Persistence
HTML5 Local Storage
NEDB (node)
https://github.com/louischatriot/nedb
PouchDB (javascript / couch db)
http://pouchdb.com/

15. What else?
Managing a local http server
Manage command line apps via node
child_process / spawn
Load dev tools extensions
Auto-Updates (Squirrel Framework)

16. Thank You!
Questions?
Marc MacLeod
marc@stoplight.io