Summary
Electron in Action guides you, step-by-step, as you learn to build cross-platform desktop applications that run on Windows, OSX, and Linux. By the end of the book, you'll be ready to build simple, snappy applications using JavaScript, Node, and the Electron framework.
Purchase of the print book includes a free eBook in PDF, Kindle, and ePub formats from Manning Publications.
About the Technology
Wouldn't it be great to build desktop applications using just your web dev skills? Electron is a framework designed for exactly that! Fully cross-platform, Electron lets you use JavaScript and Node to create simple, snappy desktop apps. Spinning up tools, games, and utilities with Electron is fast, practical, and fun!
About the Book
Electron in Action teaches you to build cross-platform applications using JavaScript, Node, and the Electron framework. You'll learn how to think like a desktop developer as you build a text tool that reads and renders Markdown. You'll add OS-specific features like the file system, menus, and clipboards, and use Chromium's tools to distribute the finished product. You'll even round off your learning with data storage, performance optimization, and testing.
What's inside

Building for macOS, Windows, and Linux

Native operating system APIs

Using third-party frameworks like React

Deploying to the Mac App Store

About the Reader
Requires intermediate JavaScript and Node skills. No experience building desktop apps required.
About the Author
Steven Kinney is a principal engineer at SendGrid, an instructor with Frontend Masters, and the organizer of the DinosaurJS conference in Denver, Colorado.
Table of Contents
PART 1 - GETTING STARTED WITH ELECTRON

Introducing Electron

Your first Electron application

PART 2 - BUILDING CROSS-PLATFORM APPLICATIONS WITH ELECTRON

Building a notes application

Using native file dialog boxes and facilitating interprocess communication

Working with multiple windows

Working with files

Building application and context menus

Further operating system integration and dynamically enabling menu items

Introducing the tray module

Building applications with the menubar library

Using transpilers and frameworks

Persisting use data and using native Node.js modules

Testing applications with Spectron

PART 3 - DEPLOYING ELECTRON APPLICATIONS

Building applications for deployment

Releasing and updating applications

Distributing your application through the Mac App Store