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Nextron vs Next.js

| nextron | next | | --- | --- | | v5.x | v9.x | | v4.x | v8.x | | v2.x / v3.x | v7.x | | v1.x | v6.x |

👍 JavaScript frontend/backend
👍 TypeScript frontend/backend
👍 TypeScript frontend/Python backend

Package Manager

npm, yarn and pnpm >= v4 are supported.

My Belief for Nextron

1. Show a way of developing desktop apps only web knowledge
2. Easy to use
3. Be transparent and open to OSS developers

Otherwise Specified

• If you need more performance with Electron, you should see these boilerplates
  • szwacz/electron-boilerplate
  • chentsulin/electron-react-boilerplate
• If you want to use Nextron as production, please take responsibility for your actions
• But, if you have any troubles, questions or ideas, I'll support you, I promise

Usage

Install

$ npm install --global nextron@latest

Create Application

To create <MY-APP>, just run the command below:

$ nextron init <MY-APP>

Or, you can use a create-nextron-app command without installing the nextron command globally:

# with npx
$ npx create-nextron-app <MY-APP>

# with yarn
$ yarn create nextron-app <MY-APP>

# with pnpx
$ pnpx create-nextron-app <MY-APP>

Create Application with Template

You can use examples/* apps as a template.

To create the examples/with-typescript-material-ui app, run the command below:

# with `nextron`
$ nextron init <MY-APP> --example with-typescript-material-ui

# with npx
$ npx create-nextron-app <MY-APP> --example with-typescript-material-ui

# with yarn
$ yarn create nextron-app <MY-APP> --example with-typescript-material-ui

# with pnpx
$ pnpx create-nextron-app <MY-APP> --example with-typescript-material-ui

Install Dependencies

Run Electron with Development Mode

Run npm run dev, and nextron automatically launches an electron app.

{
  "scripts": {
    "dev": "nextron"
  }
}

Production Build

Run npm run build, and nextron outputs packaged bundles under the dist folder.

{
  "scripts": {
    "build": "nextron build"
  }
}

Build Options

To build Windows 32 bit version, run npm run build:win32 like below:

{
  "scripts": {
    "build": "nextron build",
    "build:all": "nextron build --all",
    "build:win32": "nextron build --win --ia32",
    "build:win64": "nextron build --win --x64",
    "build:mac": "nextron build --mac --x64",
    "build:linux": "nextron build --linux"
  }
}

CAUTION: To build macOS binary, your host machine must be macOS!

Build Configuration

Edit electron-builder.yml properties for custom build configuration.

appId: com.example.nextron
productName: My Nextron App
copyright: Copyright © 2018 Yoshihide Shiono
directories:
  output: dist
  buildResources: resources
files:
  - from: .
    filter:
      - package.json
      - app
publish: null

For more information, please check out electron-builder official configuration documents.

nextron.config.js

module.exports = {
  // specify an alternate main src directory, defaults to 'main'
  mainSrcDir: 'main',
  // specify an alternate renderer src directory, defaults to 'renderer'
  rendererSrcDir: 'renderer',

  // main process' webpack config
  webpack: (defaultConfig, env) => {
    // do some stuff here
    return defaultConfig;
  },
};

Additional Entries

module.exports = {
  webpack: (defaultConfig, env) => Object.assign(defaultConfig, {
    entry: {
      // electron main process
      background: './main/background.js',
      // we can require `config.js` by using `require('electron').remote.require('./config')`
      config: './main/config.js',
    },
  }),
};

Tips

Next.js' Webpack Processes

There are two webpack processes: a server process and client one.

If we want to use some libraries that don't support SSR(Server Side Rendering), we should check if the current process is whether a server or client:

// pages/home.jsx

import electron from 'electron';

const Home = () => {
  // we can't use `electron.remote` directly!
  const remote = electron.remote;

  // we should check it like this
  const remote = electron.remote || false;
  if (remote) {
    // we can use `electron.remote`
    // because this scope is the client webpack process
  }
};

export default Home;

The Basic of React Hooks :)

As mentioned above, we should check if the webpack process is a client because the renderer process is a web client.

So we must use react state as follows:

// pages/home.jsx

import electron from 'electron';
import React, { useState, useEffect } from 'react';

// prevent SSR webpacking
const remote = electron.remote || false;

const Home = () => {
  const [config, setConfig] = useState({});

  useEffect(() => {
    // componentDidMount()
    if (remote) {
      // require `./main/config.js` from `./main/background.js`
      // and set the config
      setConfig(remote.require('./config').default);
    }

    return () => {
      // componentWillUnmount()
    };
  }, []);

  return (
    <React.Fragment>
      <p>Message: {config.message}</p>
    </React.Fragment>
  );
};

export default Home;

Examples

See examples folder for more information.

Or we can start the example app by nextron init <app-name> --example <example-dirname>.

To list all examples, just type the command below:

$ nextron list

examples/api-routes

# with `nextron`
$ nextron init my-app --example api-routes

# with npx
$ npx create-nextron-app my-app --example api-routes

# with yarn
$ yarn create nextron-app my-app --example api-routes

# with pnpx
$ pnpx create-nextron-app my-app --example api-routes

examples/custom-build-options

# with `nextron`
$ nextron init my-app --example custom-build-options

# with npx
$ npx create-nextron-app my-app --example custom-build-options

# with yarn
$ yarn create nextron-app my-app --example custom-build-options

# with pnpx
$ pnpx create-nextron-app my-app --example custom-build-options

examples/custom-main-entry

# with `nextron`
$ nextron init my-app --example custom-main-entry

# with npx
$ npx create-nextron-app my-app --example custom-main-entry

# with yarn
$ yarn create nextron-app my-app --example custom-main-entry

# with pnpx
$ pnpx create-nextron-app my-app --example custom-main-entry

examples/custom-renderer-port

# with `nextron`
$ nextron init my-app --example custom-renderer-port

# with npx
$ npx create-nextron-app my-app --example custom-renderer-port

# with yarn
$ yarn create nextron-app my-app --example custom-renderer-port

# with pnpx
$ pnpx create-nextron-app my-app --example custom-renderer-port

examples/custom-server

# with `nextron`
$ nextron init my-app --example custom-server

# with npx
$ npx create-nextron-app my-app --example custom-server

# with yarn
$ yarn create nextron-app my-app --example custom-server

# with pnpx
$ pnpx create-nextron-app my-app --example custom-server

examples/custom-server-nodemon

# with `nextron`
$ nextron init my-app --example custom-server-nodemon

# with npx
$ npx create-nextron-app my-app --example custom-server-nodemon

# with yarn
$ yarn create nextron-app my-app --example custom-server-nodemon

# with pnpx
$ pnpx create-nextron-app my-app --example custom-server-nodemon

examples/custom-server-typescript

# with `nextron`
$ nextron init my-app --example custom-server-typescript

# with npx
$ npx create-nextron-app my-app --example custom-server-typescript

# with yarn
$ yarn create nextron-app my-app --example custom-server-typescript

# with pnpx
$ pnpx create-nextron-app my-app --example custom-server-typescript

examples/ipc-communication

# with `nextron`
$ nextron init my-app --example ipc-communication

# with npx
$ npx create-nextron-app my-app --example ipc-communication

# with yarn
$ yarn create nextron-app my-app --example ipc-communication

# with pnpx
$ pnpx create-nextron-app my-app --example ipc-communication

examples/parameterized-routing

# with `nextron`
$ nextron init my-app --example parameterized-routing

# with npx
$ npx create-nextron-app my-app --example parameterized-routing

# with yarn
$ yarn create nextron-app my-app --example parameterized-routing

# with pnpx
$ pnpx create-nextron-app my-app --example parameterized-routing

examples/remote-require

# with `nextron`
$ nextron init my-app --example remote-require

# with npx
$ npx create-nextron-app my-app --example remote-require

# with yarn
$ yarn create nextron-app my-app --example remote-require

# with pnpx
$ pnpx create-nextron-app my-app --example remote-require

examples/store-data

# with `nextron`
$ nextron init my-app --example store-data

# with npx
$ npx create-nextron-app my-app --example store-data

# with yarn
$ yarn create nextron-app my-app --example store-data

# with pnpx
$ pnpx create-nextron-app my-app --example store-data

examples/web-worker

# with `nextron`
$ nextron init my-app --example web-worker

# with npx
$ npx create-nextron-app my-app --example web-worker

# with yarn
$ yarn create nextron-app my-app --example web-worker

# with pnpx
$ pnpx create-nextron-app my-app --example web-worker

examples/with-javascript

# with `nextron`
$ nextron init my-app --example with-javascript

# with npx
$ npx create-nextron-app my-app --example with-javascript

# with yarn
$ yarn create nextron-app my-app --example with-javascript

# with pnpx
$ pnpx create-nextron-app my-app --example with-javascript

examples/with-javascript-ant-design

# with `nextron`
$ nextron init my-app --example with-javascript-ant-design

# with npx
$ npx create-nextron-app my-app --example with-javascript-ant-design

# with yarn
$ yarn create nextron-app my-app --example with-javascript-ant-design

# with pnpx
$ pnpx create-nextron-app my-app --example with-javascript-ant-design

examples/with-javascript-emotion

# with `nextron`
$ nextron init my-app --example with-javascript-emotion

# with npx
$ npx create-nextron-app my-app --example with-javascript-emotion

# with yarn
$ yarn create nextron-app my-app --example with-javascript-emotion

# with pnpx
$ pnpx create-nextron-app my-app --example with-javascript-emotion

examples/with-javascript-material-ui

# with `nextron`
$ nextron init my-app --example with-javascript-material-ui

# with npx
$ npx create-nextron-app my-app --example with-javascript-material-ui

# with yarn
$ yarn create nextron-app my-app --example with-javascript-material-ui

# with pnpx
$ pnpx create-nextron-app my-app --example with-javascript-material-ui

examples/with-python

# with `nextron`
$ nextron init my-app --example with-python

# with npx
$ npx create-nextron-app my-app --example with-python

# with yarn
$ yarn create nextron-app my-app --example with-python

# with pnpx
$ pnpx create-nextron-app my-app --example with-python

examples/with-typescript

# with `nextron`
$ nextron init my-app --example with-typescript

# with npx
$ npx create-nextron-app my-app --example with-typescript

# with yarn
$ yarn create nextron-app my-app --example with-typescript

# with pnpx
$ pnpx create-nextron-app my-app --example with-typescript

examples/with-typescript-emotion

# with `nextron`
$ nextron init my-app --example with-typescript-emotion

# with npx
$ npx create-nextron-app my-app --example with-typescript-emotion

# with yarn
$ yarn create nextron-app my-app --example with-typescript-emotion

# with pnpx
$ pnpx create-nextron-app my-app --example with-typescript-emotion

examples/with-typescript-less

# with `nextron`
$ nextron init my-app --example with-typescript-less

# with npx
$ npx create-nextron-app my-app --example with-typescript-less

# with yarn
$ yarn create nextron-app my-app --example with-typescript-less

# with pnpx
$ pnpx create-nextron-app my-app --example with-typescript-less

examples/with-typescript-material-ui

# with `nextron`
$ nextron init my-app --example with-typescript-material-ui

# with npx
$ npx create-nextron-app my-app --example with-typescript-material-ui

# with yarn
$ yarn create nextron-app my-app --example with-typescript-material-ui

# with pnpx
$ pnpx create-nextron-app my-app --example with-typescript-material-ui

examples/with-typescript-python-api

(Note: When working with the with-typescript-python-api example, see the example's readme file for python setup details)

# with `nextron`
$ nextron init my-app --example with-typescript-python-api

# with npx
$ npx create-nextron-app my-app --example with-typescript-python-api

# with yarn
$ yarn create nextron-app my-app --example with-typescript-python-api

# with pnpx
$ pnpx create-nextron-app my-app --example with-typescript-python-api

Develop

Basic

$ git clone https://github.com/saltyshiomix/nextron.git
$ cd nextron
$ yarn
$ yarn dev # default is examples/with-javascript

pnpm or npm are also supported.

Developing examples/*

$ yarn dev <EXAMPLE-FOLDER-NAME>

Related

• create-nextron-app - Create Nextron (Electron + Next.js) apps in one command ⚡
• Nuxtron - ⚡ Electron + Nuxt.js ⚡

License

This project is licensed under the terms of the MIT license.