O que é elétron?

What is an electron?

Discover Electron: a powerful framework for building cross-platform desktop applications with web technologies. Learn how this is changing the face of software development.

O que é elétron

In a world where the web has become the dominant platform for almost everything, is the desktop dead? Although it may seem that way, the answer is a resounding “no”. Why? Because without the desktop, the web would only have mobile devices to access. And while mobile devices account for nearly half of user interaction with the web, there's no way the business world will give up on the desktop.

This means that the market will always be open to desktop development. However, your company is probably quite focused on growing its web and mobile presence. This is incredibly easy (and flexible) thanks to web apps.

Web apps are applications served to a desktop or mobile device from a server (rather than running locally). Web applications are accessible through a web browser and require an active network connection to run. These apps have become increasingly popular due to their ability to run on almost all platforms. So developers can take advantage of “write once, run anywhere” programming.

But there is another option available, which can offer a desktop-like experience using web technologies. This type of application is built with Electron, which is an open-source software framework (developed by GitHub) that combines the Chromium rendering engine and Node.js runtime to provide desktop GUI applications.

Elétron 1

What can you do with Electron?

The most popular Electron apps should give you a good indication of their popularity, flexibility, and usability. Some of the most popular desktop applications built with Electron include:

  • Microsoft Visual Studio Code
  • Day off
  • Skype
  • Discord
  • WordPress Desktop
  • Prey
  • Calmly Writer
  • Development book
  • LightYearVPN
  • Loop Team

You can check out a comprehensive list of applications created with Electron, which illustrates the diversity and variety of applications you can build with this interesting framework.

Electron enables development teams to deliver cross-platform apps that work seamlessly across devices. Think about it: your company can deploy an Electron app that will work on a mobile or desktop/laptop device that delivers the same experience regardless of platform. In a world of constantly evolving devices, the importance of this cannot be overstated.

And because Electron apps use HTML/CSS for the UI, developers have considerable freedom to create interesting, easy-to-use interfaces for their apps. This also means that developers don't have to fight against the restrictions of native UI kits or systems.

The basic Electron application consists of just 3 files:

  • package.json (the application metadata)
  • main.js (the application code)
  • index.html (the application UI)

The application framework is then provided by the Electron executable file (electron.exe on Windows, Electron.app on macOS, and Electron on Linux – all of which can be renamed for branding purposes).

All this to say that your developers can not only create cross-platform apps that work seamlessly across all devices, but also do so quickly, simply, and effectively.

In the modern business world, this is crucial to staying competitive.

What else can Electron do?

One of the most important things Electron apps can do is work with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. This is possible thanks to TensorFlow and Vue.js. Adding WebGL-based GPU acceleration will certainly bolster your efforts by getting the added benefit of modern GPU performance (and your developers won't be restricted to Nvidia and CUDA-enabled hardware).

But to really make AI and ML work using TensorFlow, your developers may need to enlist the help of a high-level API called face-api.js, which wraps up all the low-level operations and provides an API for common tasks. . such as facial recognition and emotion detection.

What this means is that the Electron's limitations are almost non-existent. If you can dream it, your developers can make it happen with Electron. And since these dreams will not be hampered by the specifics of the platform, the sky is the limit for your audience.

That's why Electron should definitely be on your radar. Instead of writing apps just for mobile, web, or desktop, write for all platforms.

Our enterprise software development services are designed for large-scale projects. We take care of everything related to the software: from project layout to quality assurance testing and maintenance. No matter your sector or area of ​​activity, our goal is to create impactful technological solutions so that your company can generate value and achieve its goals. Contact us today and tell us about your company, your goals, and any ideas you want to turn into real software.

Develop with caution

So far, Electron seems like the perfect fit for your company's new application plan. And it very well could be. However, you should keep in mind that since Electron apps are web applications that run on the Chromium engine, they are susceptible to attacks such as cross-site scripting and privilege escalation. In fact, if the Chromium engine is vulnerable to a specific attack, your Electron application could be too.

Because of this, your developers need to always be up to date on the latest flaws, bugs, and vulnerabilities involving not only the Chromium engine but also Node.js. Make sure your engineers are always using the latest versions of the Electron framework.

Source: BairesDev

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