142 lines
6 KiB
Markdown
142 lines
6 KiB
Markdown
# Windows Store Guide
|
|
|
|
With Windows 8, the good old win32 executable got a new sibling: The Universal
|
|
Windows Platform. The new `.appx` format does not only enable a number of new
|
|
powerful APIs like Cortana or Push Notifications, but through the Windows Store,
|
|
also simplifies installation and updating.
|
|
|
|
Microsoft [developed a tool that compiles Electron apps as `.appx` packages](http://github.com/catalystcode/electron-windows-store),
|
|
enabling developers to use some of the goodies found in the new application
|
|
model. This guide explains how to use it - and what the capabilities and
|
|
limitations of an Electron AppX package are.
|
|
|
|
## Background and Requirements
|
|
|
|
Windows 10 "Anniversary Update" is able to run win32 `.exe` binaries by
|
|
launching them together with a virtualized filesystem and registry. Both are
|
|
created during compilation by running app and installer inside a Windows
|
|
Container, allowing Windows to identify exactly which modifications to the
|
|
operating system are done during installation. Pairing the executable with a
|
|
virtual filesystem and a virtual registry allows Windows to enable one-click
|
|
installation and uninstallation.
|
|
|
|
In addition, the exe is launched inside the appx model - meaning that it can use
|
|
many of the APIs available to the Universal Windows Platform. To gain even more
|
|
capabilities, an Electron app can pair up with an invisible UWP app launched
|
|
together with the `exe` - sort of launched as a sidekick to run tasks in the
|
|
background, receive push notifications, or to communicate with other UWP
|
|
applications.
|
|
|
|
To compile any existing Electron app, ensure that you have the following
|
|
requirements:
|
|
|
|
* Windows 10 Anniversary Update - Enterprise Edition (This is build 14316 and up
|
|
- as of May 2016, it's part of the Windows Insiders Preview)
|
|
* A machine with 64 bit (x64) processor, Hardware-Assisted Virtualization, and
|
|
Second Level Address Translation (SLAT)
|
|
* The Windows 10 SDK, [downloadable here](https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/downloads/windows-10-sdk)
|
|
* At least Node 4 (to check, run `node -v`)
|
|
|
|
Then, go and install the `electron-windows-store` CLI:
|
|
|
|
```
|
|
npm install -g electron-windows-store
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
## Setup and Preparation
|
|
|
|
Before running the CLI for the first time, you will have to setup the "Windows
|
|
Desktop App Converter". This will take a few minutes, but don't worry - you only
|
|
have to do this once. Download and Desktop App Converter from
|
|
[here](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=51691). You will
|
|
receive two files: `DesktopAppConverter.zip` and `BaseImage-14316.wim`.
|
|
|
|
1. Unzip `DesktopAppConverter.zip`. From an elevated PowerShell (opened with
|
|
"run as Administrator", ensure that your systems execution policy allows us to
|
|
run everything we intend to run by calling `Set-ExecutionPolicy bypass`.
|
|
2. Then, run the installation of the Desktop App Converter, passing in the
|
|
location of the Windows base Image (downloaded as `BaseImage-14316.wim`), by
|
|
calling `.\DesktopAppConverter.ps1 -Setup -BaseImage .\BaseImage-14316.wim`.
|
|
3. If running the above command prompts you for a reboot, please restart your
|
|
machine and run the above command again after a successful restart.
|
|
|
|
Once installation succeeded, you can move on to compiling your Electron app.
|
|
|
|
## Package Your Electron Application
|
|
|
|
Package the application using
|
|
[electron-packager](https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-packager)
|
|
(or a similar tool). Make sure to remove `node_modules` that you don't need in
|
|
your final application, since any module you don't actually need will just
|
|
increase your application's size.
|
|
|
|
The output should look roughly like this:
|
|
|
|
```
|
|
├── Ghost.exe
|
|
├── LICENSE
|
|
├── content_resources_200_percent.pak
|
|
├── content_shell.pak
|
|
├── d3dcompiler_47.dll
|
|
├── ffmpeg.dll
|
|
├── icudtl.dat
|
|
├── libEGL.dll
|
|
├── libGLESv2.dll
|
|
├── locales
|
|
│ ├── am.pak
|
|
│ ├── ar.pak
|
|
│ ├── [...]
|
|
├── msvcp120.dll
|
|
├── msvcr120.dll
|
|
├── natives_blob.bin
|
|
├── node.dll
|
|
├── pdf.dll
|
|
├── resources
|
|
│ ├── app
|
|
│ └── atom.asar
|
|
├── snapshot_blob.bin
|
|
├── squirrel.exe
|
|
├── ui_resources_200_percent.pak
|
|
├── vccorlib120.dll
|
|
└── xinput1_3.dll
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
## Running the Command Line Tool
|
|
|
|
From an elevated PowerShell (run it "as Administrator"), run
|
|
`electron-windows-store` with the required parameters, passing both the input
|
|
and output directories, the app's name and version, and confirmation that
|
|
`node_modules` should be flattened.
|
|
|
|
```
|
|
electron-windows-store `
|
|
--input-directory C:\myelectronapp `
|
|
--output-directory C:\output\myelectronapp `
|
|
--flatten true `
|
|
--package-version 1.0.0.0 `
|
|
--package-name myelectronapp
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
Once executed, the tool goes to work: It accepts your Electron app as an input,
|
|
flattening the `node_modules`. Then, it archives your application as `app.zip`.
|
|
Using an installer and a Windows Container, the tool creates an "expanded" AppX
|
|
package - including the Windows Application Manifest (`AppXManifest.xml`) as
|
|
well as the virtual file system and the virtual registry inside your output
|
|
folder.
|
|
|
|
Once the expanded AppX files are created, the tool uses the Windows App Packager
|
|
(`MakeAppx.exe`) to create a single-file AppX package from those files on disk.
|
|
Finally, the tool can be used to create a trusted certificate on your computer
|
|
to sign the new AppX pacakge. With the signed AppX package, the CLI can also
|
|
automatically install the package on your machine.
|
|
|
|
## Using the AppX Package
|
|
|
|
Since the Windows Anniversary Update (codenamed Windows Redstone) has not been
|
|
released to consumers yet, you won't be able to release your app to the Windows
|
|
Store until later this year - but you can already use the `Add-AppxPackage`
|
|
[PowerShell Cmdlet to install it on machines](https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh856048.aspx)
|
|
in developer or enterprise environments.
|
|
|
|
Another important limitation is that the compiled AppX package still contains a
|
|
win32 executable - and will therefore not run on Xbox, HoloLens, or Phones.
|