Posts tagged "Electron advantages"

Developing a Desktop App? Here’s Why You Should Opt for Electron

An open-source framework, Electron helps you develop amazing desktop apps using technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It is revolutionary as it allows you to build on hybrid platforms – real web developers’ dream come true. 

Because of frameworks like Electron, desktop apps are making a comeback these days and it is no wonder why so many open-source developers and organizations of all types prefer Electron. It allows the development of cross-platform desktop apps with unique functionalities and features. And if you are still not convinced – read on to find out which are the four best reasons to use Electron for desktop app development.  

You do not have to learn new languages

Using Electron have plenty of advantages and the fact that you do not have to learn new languages is one of them. It is a huge time saver as developers can re-use your skills, knowledge, and experience. The result is that you will not have to hire new developers to work on different systems, which leads to reduced time and cost for the desktop app development. 

It updates automatically 

AutoUpdater allows you to launch a multi-platform release server using Nuts (uses GitHub as a backend), Electron-release-server (full-featured self-hosted server for Electron apps), and Squirrel-release-server (utilizes GitHub releases for Squirrel). 

Can be used on different browsers

Users can easily use Electron applications on various browsers such as Chrome, Safari, Edge, Firefox, and Internet Explorer. And just like that, the framework can also work in all, no matter the specific operating system. 

Offers native notifications and menus

There are several static methods in the Menu class with which you can: 

  • set the menu as the application – Menu.setApplicationMenu(menu)
  • return – menuMenu.getApplicationMenu()
  • send the action to the first responder of the application – menuMenu.sendActionToFirstResponder(action)
  • return the menu with reference to the template properties – Menu.buildFromTemplate(template)

Desktop apps built with Electron 

There are a lot of desktop apps built with Electron but these are a few of the most popular ones that are still being used widely today. 

WordPress Desktop App: offers minimum load times and uses the framework to offer a no-hassle cross-platform experience. Users can easily change the design or focus on content without being disturbed by browser tabs. 

WhatsApp Desktop App: the most popular messenger app, thanks to Electron. 

Pexels Desktop App: it allows designers, writers, and social media managers easily to post images and use them for social media posts or infographics. 

WebTorrent Desktop App: thanks to Electron, torrents have seen a major comeback and they are no longer seen as an outdated way to download files. 

Slack Desktop App: one of the most popular apps for remote teams that are looking for organized communication. 

In conclusion

You should definitely consider using Electron for desktop app development. It allows you to build beautiful applications that are easy to use without much of a hassle, saves you time, and does not need any major new skills.