Electron is a cross platform desktop applications using web technologies. You wrap your code in a small browser.

Features that pure web page cannot do.

• Run Node.js code inside browser context.
• Open file manager at a particular location.
• Open links in external browser.
• Open native error or information popup window.
• Show application in tray (bottom right on Windows, top right on OS X)
• Use ipc to send messages between windows/processes.
• Access to operating system information os package.
• Fluid control of copy and pasting.
• Use URL protocols to open your application e.g. electron-api-demos://.
• Take full screen screenshot.
• Automatic updates and Windows installer.

You have main process that controls other windows. You create new windows with BrowserWindow. You can use invisible windows to run background tasks with show: false. You can remove default toolbar with frame: false or even transparent: true.

You can handle crashes of windows by reloading the window again. window.webContents.on('crashed', function () {}); and window.on('unresponsive', function () {}); handle most of the cases.

Follow the guidelines for toolbar menus. There are also some guidelines on right click context menus.

• OS X
• Linux

Avoid overwriting system-wide keyboard shortcuts.

• OS X
• Windows
• Linux

Links

• Electron: Building cross platform desktop applications using web technologies.
• nativefier: Wrap web apps to native containers.
• awesome-electron: Nice example of an applications made with Electron.

Sources

• Electron + The Demo App