Is it possible to create desktop applications with node.js? [duplicate]

Asked 9/1, 2012 at 19:40 Answered 15/11, 2012 at 18:29

I've created an application using node.js, and I'm interested to know if it's possible to pack the client side (js, html ,css) and the server side into a standalone application (that doesn't required browser).

Capp answered 9/1, 2012 at 19:40 Comment(5)

I suppose you mean "using a conventional UI"? It's not designed for that, so I doubt that it would be highly useful for that. We use our frameworks for the things they are designed for. nodejs isn't even a language, tho, so remember that. It's just a framework to run a javascript app against a javascript VM. – Bethanybethe 9/1, 2012 at 20:16

This appears to be part of a Duplicate Pool: #6146061, #7557864, https://mcmap.net/q/77051/-how-to-make-exe-files-from-a-node-js-app, #8794640, #9725317, #13388608 – Saving 10/3, 2013 at 12:50

A good list of tools is here: https://mcmap.net/q/77054/-packaging-a-node-js-web-application-as-a-normal-desktop-application-closed – Clinical 30/6, 2013 at 9:14

electron github.com/electron/electron is your choice – Skaw 13/6, 2017 at 10:32

Electron creates 4 heavy Windows processes using a total of 60 MB of memory just for an app that creates a window. The lighter frameworks appear to have been abandoned. – Lindner 22/8, 2020 at 11:47

https://github.com/rogerwang/node-webkit is a project with the goal of running an instance of the webkit browser engine in the same process as nodejs. It allows you to directly use nodes API in the browser. It ~~currently only works on linux~~ works on Windows, Mac and Linux now.

Last answered 9/1, 2012 at 20:40 Comment(7)

This looks similar to appjs - although node-webkit allows you to use Javascript functions directly from the DOM, while appjs (apparently) requires both a server-side and a client-side. – Astto 15/11, 2012 at 6:57

Also, do you have any instructions for installing node-webkit? I'm looking forward to learning it. – Astto 15/11, 2012 at 6:58

It appears to now support Linux, Mac OSX and Windows. – Isochronal 17/8, 2013 at 19:10

@Isochronal Thanks, amended that. – Last 17/8, 2013 at 19:16

this is BIG this is in direct competition with Adobe Air – Cosmology 23/8, 2013 at 15:50

Is this how TileMill was built? – Casserole 8/1, 2014 at 10:5

Can't compete Adobe Air yet, I don't see iOS or Android support. – Footfall 26/5, 2014 at 16:38

I am also investigating this.

AppJS is looking very promising as an api for building cross platform desktop apps using HTML5, CSS3 and NodeJS. Unfortunately for me it's probably not well enough developed for my next project.

Extrovert answered 15/11, 2012 at 18:29 Comment(2)

+1 for a great find. The project looks good with several apps already developed. – Fireguard 25/6, 2013 at 0:41

appjs is abandoned. They themselves are now recommending you use NW or Electron instead. – Affluence 23/11, 2023 at 12:2

I have been investigating this very topic since the node-webkit project was announced.
I have a blog post about my early efforts http://csainty.blogspot.com/2012/01/creating-desktop-apps-with-nodejs.html

In the latest code drop you can now specify an application closedown callback, which makes it easy now to instantiate your applicaton and a localhost webserver when the application is started. Then close it all down cleanly when it is closed.

This make it pretty easy to port a web application to the desktop depending on what other server dependencies you might have.

var nwebkit = require('node-webkit'),
    http = require('http');

var server = http.createServer(function (req, res) {
    // If you need it you can create a local web server
    // You can also use express etc if preferred
    }).listen(3000, '127.0.0.1');

nwebkit.init({
    'url': 'index.html',
    'width': 800,
    'height': 600,
    'onclose': function() {
       server.close();
    }
});

Debate answered 16/1, 2012 at 7:35 Comment(1)

With nwjs no need to start web server to server webapp static assets. You can set "main": "app/index.html" in manifest.json, it can load the webapp from local files, and security restrictions will not apply, you can make ajax etc. – Crusado 11/6, 2015 at 3:14

you can write a desktop app using Qt with node

see this binding

https://github.com/arturadib/node-qt

Torin answered 16/6, 2012 at 19:50 Comment(1)

Unfortunately looks like that nice project is not maintained too much anymore. – Sarson 1/11, 2013 at 21:48

There have been some attempts, but at the moment there isn't a proper library for this:

http://www.readwriteweb.com/hack/2011/04/build-desktop-apps-with-nodejs.php
https://github.com/appcelerator-titans/nodejs-desktop-prototype

Prostate answered 9/1, 2012 at 20:4 Comment(0)

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