What is Electron JS Used For And 5 Popular Electron Apps
Key takeaways:
- What is Electron JS?
- When does Electron development make sense?
- What are the major applications developed using Electron JS?
First, let’s understand what Electron is. Electron is an open-source desktop application development framework. It makes use of technologies like JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. It’s developed and maintained by GitHub.
What is Electron JS?
If you’re wondering about the role of Electron here, remember that app development using Electron is cost-effective, quick, and reliable. Your next question should be, is this the only application of the Electron? Not! Because Electron is more than an open-source framework and thus, can be regarded as a unique Electron desktop app development technology.
When does Electron Development Make Sense?
Many companies use Electron for multi-platform desktop application development. With Electron development, you have to write the code only once and dispense it everywhere without any need for duplication. This “multi-platform” compatibility curtails the development process and thus, reduces the project’s cost.
Popular Electron Apps Developed using Electron
Some of the top electron apps developed using Electron are as follows:
1. Slack Desktop App
The Slack desktop app, released in 2013, is a fabulous example of an app developed using Electron. Slack is a major collaborative application suitable for teams of any size to work effectively. It offers features like chat rooms, file sharing, and seamless integration with third-party applications like Google Drive, Trello, Dropbox, etc. Slack is what every organization prefers for collaboration.
2. Etcher
Balena, the company that lends tools for building, deploying, and managing fleets of connected Linux devices, developed this application through Electron development. Also, the story behind the development of the app confirms how straightforward it is to develop an app using Electron. Etcher is an image-writing app. If I have to summarize the power of Electrons in a line, it would be “There are no barriers to what competent Electron developers can achieve“.
3. Visual Code Studio
VCS or Visual Code Studio is a lightweight code editor from Microsoft that can convert into an IDE via extensions. Since its release, the use of Visual Studio Code has ascended among developers, which demonstrates how technology like Electron can reinvent the wheel and improve it alongside.
4. WordPress Desktop
Before the release of the Electron, WordPress, the most popular and dependable Content Management System (CMS), lacked its desktop version. At that time, we all had to launch it in our browsers. But after the release of the Electron, it entered the list of the “desktop applications using Electron“. Now, everyone using WordPress for managing content can do it seamlessly, thanks to its desktop version. So, no more distractions are caused by switching from one tab to another.
5. Ghost Desktop
If you don’t know what the Ghost desktop application is and what purpose it serves, understand it here. It is an open-source platform developed using Electron JS enabling writers to manage multiple blogs at once and concentrate on their writings. Although Ghost is highly hackable because of its simple nature, several bloggers cannot imagine the future of online media without it. So, Electron development is the most suitable technology for developing web and desktop applications like Slack, Etcher, VCS, Skype, Atom, Tusk, Ghost, WordPress, etc. Furthermore, the development process is reliable, quick, and cost-effective.
Conclusion
Electron, in collaboration with traditional web technologies like JavaScript, HTML, and CSS, gives developers the freedom to think out of the box. It lets the developers create multi-platform apps with ease. Hence, get ready for the evolution of more desktop applications with Electron development.