Electron is a development framework for Windows that allows you to program apps using HTML, CSS and JavaScript in a single environment. Thanks to this, developers can program the same app for multiple platforms in one place.
HTML, CSS and JavaScript in a single environment
Electron is the environment used to program popular cross-platform apps like WhatsApp, Spotify, Slack and Discord. Its versatility allows developers to create everything from messaging apps or mail clients to games. To operate correctly, Electron creates a Chromium process in which HTML, CSS and JavaScript code can be executed. Everything you program loads as if it were a web page, and you can even make it interact with the operating system through Electron's own API.
Everything runs in a Chromium process
To program with Electron, you first need to install Node.js. After that, create a project using the command npm init, which will create a file called package.json. After that, add the dependencies to the project using npm install. Finally, create the main.js and index.html files on which the process will be loaded in Chromium. After that, you can compile and run the app using npm run start.
Its versatility also comes at the cost of taking up more space than other development environments, as well as making it more difficult to debug code to find and fix errors.
If you are looking for a versatile development environment to develop cross-platform apps, downloading Electron is one of the best options out there.
