π₯³ Real simple Electron
+ Vue3
+ Vite2
boilerplate.
# clone the project
git clone https://github.com/sethjwilliamson/lorgg-tracker.git
# enter the project directory
cd lorgg-tracker
# install dependency
npm install
# develop
npm run dev
This is a Vite
-integrated Electron
template built with simplification in mind.
The repo contains only the most basic files, dependencies and functionalities to ensure flexibility for various scenarios.
You need a basic understanding of Electron
and Vite
to get started. But that's not mandatory - you can learn almost all the details by reading through the source code. Trust me, this repo is not that complex. π
A dist
folder will be generated everytime when dev
or build
command is executed. File structure of dist
is identical to the packages
directory to avoid any potential path calculation errors.
β
βββ dist Will be generated following the structure of "packages" directory
β βββ main
β βββ preload
β βββ renderer
β
βββ scripts
β βββ build.mjs Build script -> npm run build
β βββ watch.mjs Develop script -> npm run dev
β
βββ packages
β βββ main Main-process source code
β βββ vite.config.ts
β βββ preload Preload-script source code
β βββ vite.config.ts
β βββ renderer Renderer-process source code
β βββ vite.config.ts
β
-
First, you need to know if the package is still needed at runtime after packed.
-
Packages like serialport, sqlite3 are node-native modules and should be placed in
dependencies
. Vite will not build them and will treat them as externals. -
Packages like vue, react are pure javascript modules and can be built with Vite. They can be listed in
devDependencies
which helps reducing the size of bundled product.
π§ Due to electron security constraints, using Electron or NodeJS API in the rederer process is strongly discouraged.
The template provides two methods for using the NodeJs API in the rendering process:
- Bypass the security constraints (default), located in the main branch.
nodeIntegration
is enabled by default, making it easy to use.:tada:, but there are certain security risks π§. - Inject Render by preload script, located in the withoutNodeIntegration branch.
nodeIntegration
is turned off by default, the official recommended way of electron, more secure:lock:.
For 1, all NodeJs and Electron APIs can be used directly in the rendering process.
For 2, all NodeJs, Electron APIs injected into the rendering process via Preload-script
you need to create a context bridge and expose the APIs you need to the renderer process.
Note that if your project uses typescript, you also need to add type declarations to the Window
interface, for example:
-
packages/preload/index.ts
import fs from "fs"; import { contextBridge, ipcRenderer } from "electron"; // --------- Expose some API to Renderer-process. --------- contextBridge.exposeInMainWorld("fs", fs); contextBridge.exposeInMainWorld("ipcRenderer", ipcRenderer);
-
packages/renderer/src/global.d.ts
// Defined on the window interface Window { fs: typeof import("fs"); ipcRenderer: import("electron").IpcRenderer; }
-
packages/renderer/src/main.ts
// Use Electron, NodeJs API in Renderer-process console.log("fs", window.fs); console.log("ipcRenderer", window.ipcRenderer);
Finally, either way, for third-party NodeJs APIs (e.g. sqlite3
), You'll also need to declare how it was imported in packages/renderer/vite.config.ts
defineConfig.plugins
so that the template can recognize them correctly. π reference issues
resolveElectron
-
First, you need to make sure the packages are listed in the "dependencies" since they are still needed at runtime after the project is packed.
-
Source code of main process and preload scripts are also bundled with Vitebuild.lib. Rollup configurations needed.
More: π packages/main/vite.config.ts
export default {
build: {
// built lib for Main-process, Preload-script
lib: {
entry: "index.ts",
formats: ["cjs"],
fileName: () => "[name].js",
},
rollupOptions: {
// configuration here
external: ["serialport", "sqlite3"],
},
},
};