66 lines
3.3 KiB
Markdown
66 lines
3.3 KiB
Markdown
# Boilerplates and CLIs
|
||
|
||
Electron development is unopinionated - there is no "one true way" to develop,
|
||
build, package, or release an Electron application. Additional features for
|
||
Electron, both for build- and run-time, can usually be found on
|
||
[npm](https://www.npmjs.com/search?q=electron) in individual packages, allowing developers to build both
|
||
the app and build pipeline they need.
|
||
|
||
That level of modularity and extendability ensures that all developers working
|
||
with Electron, both big and small in team-size, are never restricted in what
|
||
they can or cannot do at any time during their development lifecycle. However,
|
||
for many developers, one of the community-driven boilerplates or command line
|
||
tools might make it dramatically easier to compile, package, and release an
|
||
app.
|
||
|
||
## Boilerplate vs CLI
|
||
|
||
A boilerplate is only a starting point - a canvas, so to speak - from which
|
||
you build your application. They usually come in the form of a repository you
|
||
can clone and customize to your heart's content.
|
||
|
||
A command line tool on the other hand continues to support you throughout the
|
||
development and release. They are more helpful and supportive but enforce
|
||
guidelines on how your code should be structured and built. *Especially for
|
||
beginners, using a command line tool is likely to be helpful*.
|
||
|
||
## electron-forge
|
||
|
||
A "complete tool for building modern Electron applications". Electron Forge
|
||
unifies the existing (and well maintained) build tools for Electron development
|
||
into a cohesive package so that anyone can jump right in to Electron
|
||
development.
|
||
|
||
Forge comes with [ready-to-use templates](https://electronforge.io/templates) for popular
|
||
frameworks like React, Vue, or Angular. It uses the same core modules used by the
|
||
greater Electron community (like [`electron-packager`](https://github.com/electron/electron-packager)) –
|
||
changes made by Electron maintainers (like Slack) benefit Forge's users, too.
|
||
|
||
You can find more information and documentation on [electronforge.io](https://electronforge.io/).
|
||
|
||
## electron-builder
|
||
|
||
A "complete solution to package and build a ready-for-distribution Electron app"
|
||
that focuses on an integrated experience. [`electron-builder`](https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-builder) adds one
|
||
single dependency focused on simplicity and manages all further requirements
|
||
internally.
|
||
|
||
`electron-builder` replaces features and modules used by the Electron
|
||
maintainers (such as the auto-updater) with custom ones. They are generally
|
||
tighter integrated but will have less in common with popular Electron apps
|
||
like Atom, Visual Studio Code, or Slack.
|
||
|
||
You can find more information and documentation in [the repository](https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-builder).
|
||
|
||
## electron-react-boilerplate
|
||
|
||
If you don't want any tools but only a solid boilerplate to build from,
|
||
CT Lin's [`electron-react-boilerplate`](https://github.com/chentsulin/electron-react-boilerplate) might be worth
|
||
a look. It's quite popular in the community and uses `electron-builder`
|
||
internally.
|
||
|
||
## Other Tools and Boilerplates
|
||
|
||
The ["Awesome Electron" list](https://github.com/sindresorhus/awesome-electron#boilerplates) contains more tools and boilerplates
|
||
to choose from. If you find the length of the list intimidating, don't
|
||
forget that adding tools as you go along is a valid approach, too.
|