Electron
A tool for building desktop programs using the same technologies as websites.
What is Electron, and can it build a desktop program for my business?
Electron is an open-source framework that packages an application written in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript together with a browser engine and Node.js, so it runs as a desktop program. That lets the app use files on the computer, have its own windows, and ship with an installer.
The upside is that the same skills used to build a website also build the program. The downside is the size: every app carries its own browser engine, so the installer takes up more space than a native program's would.
Why it matters to your business
For a business, Electron makes it possible to have a modern program that works without internet and updates itself, without writing a separate version for every operating system. It is a good fit when the operation runs on a handful of office computers.
How we use this at Damorus
Atlantic Center's system ships with Electron and a guided NSIS installer that asks where to install and shows progress, and updates arrive through electron-updater. An Electron script also opens the app in demo mode, seeds it with fake data, and photographs its 13 main screens, so the system can be shown off without exposing a single real student. The installer has no code signature, so Windows shows a warning the first time it runs; the client accepted that trade-off.
Need this on your project?
I want my free mockup →