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Next.js vs Nextron

Package Manager

npm, yarn and pnpm are supported.

My Belief for Nextron

1. Show a way of developing desktop apps with only web knowledge
2. Easy to use
3. Be transparent and open to OSS developers

Usage

Create Application with Template

We can use examples/* as a template.

To create the examples/with-tailwindcss, run the command below:

# with npx
$ npx create-nextron-app MY_APP --example with-tailwindcss

# with yarn
$ yarn create nextron-app MY_APP --example with-tailwindcss

# with pnpm
$ pnpm dlx create-nextron-app MY_APP --example with-tailwindcss

Run Electron with Development Mode

Run npm run dev, and nextron automatically launches an electron app.

{
  "scripts": {
    "dev": "nextron"
  }
}

Production Build

Run npm run build, and nextron outputs packaged bundles under the dist folder.

{
  "scripts": {
    "build": "nextron build"
  }
}

Basic Directory Structures

.
├── main
│   ├── background.ts
│   └── preload.ts
├── renderer
│   ├── next.config.js
│   ├── pages
│   │   ├── home.tsx
│   │   └── next.tsx
│   ├── preload.d.ts
│   ├── public
│   │   └── images
│   │       └── logo.png
│   └── tsconfig.json
├── resources
│   ├── icon.icns
│   └── icon.ico
├── nextron.config.js
├── electron-builder.yml
├── package.json
├── tsconfig.json
└── README.md

next.config.js

// in `./renderer/next.config.js`
module.exports = {
  // we need to export static files so as Electron can handle them
  output: 'export',

  distDir:
    process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production'
      ? // we want to change `distDir` to "../app" so as nextron can build the app in production mode!
        '../app'
      : // default `distDir` value
        '.next',

  // e.g. home.html => home/index.html
  trailingSlash: true,

  // we need to disable image optimization, because it is not compatible with `{ output: 'export' }`
  images: {
    unoptimized: true,
  },

  // webpack config for next.js
  webpack: (config) => {
    return config
  },
}

nextron or nextron dev Options

--renderer-port (default: 8888)

It specifies next dev server port:

{
  "scripts": {
    "dev": "nextron --renderer-port 7777"
  }
}

--run-only (default: undefined)

It suppresses hot reloading of the main process:

{
  "scripts": {
    "dev": "nextron --run-only"
  }
}

--startup-delay (default: 0)

It waits until renderer process is ready (milliseconds):

{
  "scripts": {
    "dev": "nextron --startup-delay 3000"
  }
}

--electron-options (default: undefined)

We can pass electron args via --electron-options:

{
  "scripts": {
    "dev": "nextron --electron-options=\"--no-sandbox\""
  }
}

nextron build Options

NOTE:

• To build macOS binary, your host machine must be macOS!
• Please consider to use electron-builder.yml instead of these CLI options.
  • Command Line Interface (CLI) - electron-builder
  • Common Configuration - electron-builder

To build Windows 32 bit version, run npm run build:win32 like below:

{
  "scripts": {
    "build": "nextron build",
    "build:mac": "nextron build --mac",
    "build:mac:universal": "nextron build --mac --universal",
    "build:linux": "nextron build --linux",
    "build:win32": "nextron build --win --ia32",
    "build:win64": "nextron build --win --x64"
  }
}

--config (default: ./electron-builder.yml)

{
  "scripts": {
    "build": "nextron build --config ./configs/electron-builder.prod.yml"
  }
}

--publish (default: undefined)

Note

Highly recommend to use electron-builder.yml:

https://www.electron.build/configuration/publish

--no-pack (default: undefined)

This option skips packaging by electron-builder:

{
  "scripts": {
    "build": "nextron build --no-pack"
  }
}

Build Configuration: electron-builder.yml

Edit electron-builder.yml for custom build configurations:

appId: com.example.nextron
productName: My Nextron App
copyright: Copyright © 2020 Yoshihide Shiono
directories:
  output: dist
  buildResources: resources
files:
  - from: .
    filter:
      - package.json
      - app
publish: null # see https://www.electron.build/configuration/publish

For more information, please check out electron-builder official configuration documents.

Custom Config: nextron.config.js

module.exports = {
  // specify an alternate main src directory, defaults to 'main'
  mainSrcDir: 'main',
  // specify an alternate renderer src directory, defaults to 'renderer'
  rendererSrcDir: 'renderer',

  // main process' webpack config
  webpack: (config, env) => {
    // do some stuff here
    return config
  },
}

Custom Babel Config for Main Process

We can extends the default babel config of main process by putting .babelrc in our project root like this:

.babelrc:

{
  "presets": ["nextron/babel"]
}

Examples

examples/basic-lang-javascript

# with npx
$ npx create-nextron-app my-app --example basic-lang-javascript

# with yarn
$ yarn create nextron-app my-app --example basic-lang-javascript

# with pnpm
$ pnpm dlx create-nextron-app my-app --example basic-lang-javascript

examples/basic-lang-javascript-python

# with npx
$ npx create-nextron-app my-app --example basic-lang-javascript-python

# with yarn
$ yarn create nextron-app my-app --example basic-lang-javascript-python

# with pnpm
$ pnpm dlx create-nextron-app my-app --example basic-lang-javascript-python

examples/basic-lang-typescript

# with npx
$ npx create-nextron-app my-app --example basic-lang-typescript

# with yarn
$ yarn create nextron-app my-app --example basic-lang-typescript

# with pnpm
$ pnpm dlx create-nextron-app my-app --example basic-lang-typescript

examples/basic-launch-app-from-url

This example shows how to open your app from browser URL.

Note: this example works only production build!

# with npx
$ npx create-nextron-app my-app --example basic-launch-app-from-url

# with yarn
$ yarn create nextron-app my-app --example basic-launch-app-from-url

# with pnpm
$ pnpm dlx create-nextron-app my-app --example basic-launch-app-from-url

# --------------------------------------------------------------

# Production build
$ yarn build (or `npm run build` or `pnpm run build`)

After production build, open your-custom-protocol://open?token=jwt-value in your browser, then the app will be shown like a magic!

If you want to change schema URL, please edit electron-builder.yml#protocols:

protocols:
  name: Your App Name
  schemes: [your-custom-protocol-edited]

Then, you can see the app from URL: your-custom-protocol-edited://any-uri-here?data=include-any-data.

examples/basic-store-data

# with npx
$ npx create-nextron-app my-app --example basic-store-data

# with yarn
$ yarn create nextron-app my-app --example basic-store-data

# with pnpm
$ pnpm dlx create-nextron-app my-app --example basic-store-data

examples/custom-build-options

# with npx
$ npx create-nextron-app my-app --example custom-build-options

# with yarn
$ yarn create nextron-app my-app --example custom-build-options

# with pnpm
$ pnpm dlx create-nextron-app my-app --example custom-build-options

examples/custom-renderer-port

# with npx
$ npx create-nextron-app my-app --example custom-renderer-port

# with yarn
$ yarn create nextron-app my-app --example custom-renderer-port

# with pnpm
$ pnpm dlx create-nextron-app my-app --example custom-renderer-port

examples/with-ant-design

# with npx
$ npx create-nextron-app my-app --example with-ant-design

# with yarn
$ yarn create nextron-app my-app --example with-ant-design

# with pnpm
$ pnpm dlx create-nextron-app my-app --example with-ant-design

examples/with-chakra-ui

# with npx
$ npx create-nextron-app my-app --example with-chakra-ui

# with yarn
$ yarn create nextron-app my-app --example with-chakra-ui

# with pnpm
$ pnpm dlx create-nextron-app my-app --example with-chakra-ui

examples/with-emotion

# with npx
$ npx create-nextron-app my-app --example with-emotion

# with yarn
$ yarn create nextron-app my-app --example with-emotion

# with pnpm
$ pnpm dlx create-nextron-app my-app --example with-emotion

examples/with-material-ui

# with npx
$ npx create-nextron-app my-app --example with-material-ui

# with yarn
$ yarn create nextron-app my-app --example with-material-ui

# with pnpm
$ pnpm dlx create-nextron-app my-app --example with-material-ui

examples/with-next-i18next

# with npx
$ npx create-nextron-app my-app --example with-next-i18next

# with yarn
$ yarn create nextron-app my-app --example with-next-i18next

# with pnpm
$ pnpm dlx create-nextron-app my-app --example with-next-i18next

examples/with-tailwindcss

# with npx
$ npx create-nextron-app my-app --example with-tailwindcss

# with yarn
$ yarn create nextron-app my-app --example with-tailwindcss

# with pnpm
$ pnpm dlx create-nextron-app my-app --example with-tailwindcss

Develop

Basic

$ git clone https://github.com/saltyshiomix/nextron.git
$ cd nextron
$ pnpm install
$ pnpm dev # default is examples/basic-lang-javascript

Developing examples/*

$ pnpm dev <EXAMPLE-FOLDER-NAME>

Developing for your own project

1. Install development version of nextron

$ cd nextron
$ npm install
$ npm run build
$ npm link

2. Install linked nextron in your project

$ cd your-project
$ npm link nextron

3. On every change in nextron, run npm run build in nextron folder and restart your project

Maintainers ⚡

• saltyshiomix (Shiono Yoshihide)
• lacymorrow (Lacy Morrow)
• Psycokwet
• m5x5
• andirsun (Anderson Laverde)
• bm777 (Bayang)
• FranciscoJBrito (Francisco Brito)
• pixelass (Gregor Adams)

For more information, please see Looking for maintainers ⚡ #244.

Community

You already create apps with nextron? Feel free to share your apps or services: Made by nextron? #406

Related

• create-nextron-app - Create Nextron (Next.js + Electron) apps in one command ⚡

License

This project is licensed under the terms of the MIT license.