Cross-Platform Desktop Applications: Using Node, Electron, and NW.js

362 Pages·2017·15.62 MB·English

by  Paul B. Jensen

Using Electron and NW.js
Paul B. Jensen
F Cheng Zhao
OREWORD BY
M A N N I N G
Cross-Platform Desktop Applications
Using Electron and NW.js

Cross-Platform
Desktop Applications
USING ELECTRON AND NW.JS
PAUL JENSEN
MANNING
SHELTER ISLAND
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To Fiona

brief contents
PART 1 WELCOME TO NODE.JS DESKTOP APPLICATION
DEVELOPMENT ..............................................................1
1 ■ Introducing Electron and NW.js 3
2 ■ Laying the foundation for your first desktop application 31
3 ■ Building your first desktop application 54
4 ■ Shipping your first desktop application 75
PART 2 DIVING DEEPER...........................................................89
5 ■ Using Node.js within NW.js and Electron 91
6 ■ Exploring NW.js and Electron’s internals 108
PART 3 MASTERING NODE.JS DESKTOP APPLICATION
DEVELOPMENT ..........................................................119
7 ■ Controlling how your desktop app is displayed 121
8 ■ Creating tray applications 143
9 ■ Creating application and context menus 153
10 ■ Dragging and dropping files and crafting the UI 176
vii
viii BRIEF CONTENTS
11 ■ Using a webcam in your application 187
12 ■ Storing app data 199
13 ■ Copying and pasting contents from the clipboard 210
14 ■ Binding on keyboard shortcuts 219
15 ■ Making desktop notifications 234
PART 4 GETTING READY TO RELEASE......................................243
16 ■ Testing desktop apps 245
17 ■ Improving app performance with debugging 264
18 ■ Packaging the application for the wider world 291
contents
foreword xvii
preface xix
acknowledgments xxi
about this book xxiii
about the author xxvii
about the cover xxviii
PART 1 WELCOME TO NODE.JS DESKTOP APPLICATION
DEVELOPMENT ....................................................1
1 Introducing Electron and NW.js 3
1.1 Why build Node.js desktop applications? 4
Desktop to web and back 4 ■ What Node.js desktop apps offer
over web apps 6
1.2 The origins of NW.js and Electron 7
1.3 Introducing NW.js 9
A Hello World app in NW.js 9 ■ What features does
NW.js have? 14
1.4 Introducing Electron 17
How does Electron work and differ from NW.js? 17
A Hello World app in Electron 18 ■ What features does
Electron have? 23
ix