什么是 Electron

Electron lets you build native desktop apps with your web skills. Think of it as bringing the browser engine straight to the desktop.

You build Electron apps with the web stack you already know — HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. If you do web dev, you are halfway there.

Electron is cross-platform: write your code once and ship it to Windows, macOS, and Linux — no separate native builds.

Electron renders your UI with Chromium, the engine behind Chrome. You get modern web features and Chrome's dev tools for free.

Electron also embeds Node.js, so your JavaScript can reach the file system, network, and OS — well beyond the browser sandbox.

Electron pairs two engines: Chromium renders the UI, while Node.js handles OS-level work. Rich web UIs plus real system access, in one app.

Every Electron app splits into two process types: the main process (lifecycle, native OS) and renderer processes (the UI). More on this soon.

You likely use Electron daily — VS Code, Slack, and Discord all run on it. Real proof of how versatile the framework is.

Picture Electron as a box for your site: a mini Chromium browser inside shows your UI, and Node.js lets it talk to the computer. Ships as a real app.

Electron builds cross-platform desktop apps with web tech, combining Chromium for UI and Node.js for OS access. Next, let's set up your tools.