diff --git a/npm/README.md b/npm/README.md index 5bad74b7333..8657b4c083b 100644 --- a/npm/README.md +++ b/npm/README.md @@ -4,11 +4,14 @@ [![badge](https://nodei.co/npm/electron-prebuilt.png?downloads=true)](https://www.npmjs.com/package/electron-prebuilt) -Install [electron](https://github.com/electron/electron) prebuilt binaries for command-line use using npm. This module helps you easily install the `electron` command for use on the command line without having to compile anything. +Install [Electron](https://github.com/electron/electron) prebuilt binaries for +command-line use using npm. This module helps you easily install the `electron` +command for use on the command line without having to compile anything. [Electron](http://electron.atom.io) is a JavaScript runtime that bundles Node.js and Chromium. You use it similar to the `node` command on the command line for -executing JavaScript programs. For more info you can read [this intro blog post](http://maxogden.com/electron-fundamentals.html) or dive into the [Electron documentation](http://electron.atom.io/docs) +executing JavaScript programs. For more info you can read [this intro blog post](http://maxogden.com/electron-fundamentals.html) +or dive into the [Electron documentation](http://electron.atom.io/docs). ## Installation @@ -17,80 +20,92 @@ executing JavaScript programs. For more info you can read [this intro blog post] `electron` is recommended, as the `electron-prebuilt` name is deprecated, and will only be published until the end of 2016. -Download and install the latest build of electron for your OS and add it to your +Download and install the latest build of Electron for your OS and add it to your project's `package.json` as a `devDependency`: -``` +```shell npm install electron --save-dev ``` -This is the preferred way to use electron, as it doesn't require users to -install electron globally. +This is the preferred way to use Electron, as it doesn't require users to +install Electron globally. You can also use the `-g` flag (global) to symlink it into your PATH: -``` +```shell npm install -g electron ``` If that command fails with an `EACCESS` error you may have to run it again with `sudo`: -``` +```shell sudo npm install -g electron ``` Now you can just run `electron` to run electron: -``` +```shell electron ``` -If you need to use an HTTP proxy you can [set these environment variables](https://github.com/request/request/tree/f0c4ec061141051988d1216c24936ad2e7d5c45d#controlling-proxy-behaviour-using-environment-variables) +If you need to use an HTTP proxy you can [set these environment variables](https://github.com/request/request/tree/f0c4ec061141051988d1216c24936ad2e7d5c45d#controlling-proxy-behaviour-using-environment-variables). -If you want to change the architecture that is downloaded (e.g., `ia32` on an `x64` machine), you can use the `--arch` flag with npm install or set the `npm_config_arch` environment variable: -``` +If you want to change the architecture that is downloaded (e.g., `ia32` on an +`x64` machine), you can use the `--arch` flag with npm install or set the +`npm_config_arch` environment variable: + +```shell npm install --arch=ia32 electron ``` ## About -Works on Mac, Windows and Linux OSes that Electron supports (e.g. Electron [does not support Windows XP](https://github.com/electron/electron/issues/691)). +Works on Mac, Windows and Linux OSes that Electron supports (e.g. Electron +[does not support Windows XP](https://github.com/electron/electron/issues/691)). -The version numbers of this module match the version number of the [offical Electron releases](https://github.com/electron/electron/releases), which do not follow [semantic versioning](http://semver.org/). +The version numbers of this module match the version number of the [official +Electron releases](https://github.com/electron/electron/releases), which +[do not follow semantic versioning](http://electron.atom.io/docs/tutorial/electron-versioning/). -This module is automatically released whenever a new version of Electron is released thanks to [electron-prebuilt-updater](https://github.com/johnmuhl/electron-prebuilt-updater) written by [John Muhl](https://github.com/johnmuhl/). +This module is automatically released whenever a new version of Electron is +released thanks to [electron-prebuilt-updater](https://github.com/electron/electron-prebuilt-updater), +originally written by [John Muhl](https://github.com/johnmuhl/). ## Usage -First you have to [write an electron application](https://github.com/electron/electron/blob/master/docs/tutorial/quick-start.md) +First, you have to [write an Electron application](http://electron.atom.io/docs/tutorial/quick-start/). -Then you can run your app using: +Then, you can run your app using: -``` +```shell electron your-app/ ``` ## Related modules -- [electron-packager](https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-packager) - package and distribute your electron app in OS executables (.app, .exe etc) -- [electron-builder](https://github.com/loopline-systems/electron-builder) - create installers for Windows and OS X. It's built to work together with electron-packager -- [menubar](https://github.com/maxogden/menubar) - high level way to create menubar desktop applications with electron +- [electron-packager](https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-packager) - + Package and distribute your Electron app with OS-specific bundles + (.app, .exe etc) +- [electron-builder](https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-builder) - + create installers +- [menubar](https://github.com/maxogden/menubar) - high level way to create + menubar desktop applications with electron -Find more at the [awesome-electron](https://github.com/sindresorhus/awesome-electron) list +Find more at the [awesome-electron](https://github.com/sindresorhus/awesome-electron) list. ## Programmatic usage Most people use this from the command line, but if you require `electron` inside -your **node app** (not your electron app) it will return the file path to the -binary. Use this to spawn electron from node scripts: +your **Node app** (not your Electron app) it will return the file path to the +binary. Use this to spawn Electron from Node scripts: -``` js +```javascript var electron = require('electron') var proc = require('child_process') // will something similar to print /Users/maf/.../Electron console.log(electron) -// spawn electron +// spawn Electron var child = proc.spawn(electron) ```