Vue for Desktop Development

Vue.js is a popular JavaScript framework for building user interfaces. It's mainly used for creating web applications, but can it be used for desktop applications? The answer is yes, Vue.js can be used for desktop development. In this article, we'll explore how Vue.js can be used for desktop development, show examples, and provide code snippets.

Why Use Vue.js for Desktop Development?

Vue.js provides a lot of benefits for desktop development. One of the main benefits is that it provides a reactive and modular architecture that makes it easy to develop and maintain large applications. This is especially useful for desktop applications, which can be quite complex. Additionally, Vue.js has a large and active community, which means that there is a lot of support and resources available.

Another benefit of Vue.js for desktop development is its ability to work with other technologies. Vue.js can be easily integrated with other technologies, such as Electron, which is a popular framework for building cross-platform desktop applications. This makes it easy to build desktop applications that can run on multiple operating systems.

Top 5 applications to build Desktop apps with Vue

Vue is a versatile framework that can be used to build a wide range of applications, including desktop apps. There are several technologies available to build desktop apps with Vue, and here are the top 5:

Electron

Electron is a popular framework for building desktop apps with web technologies, including Vue. Electron is based on Node.js and Chromium, and it provides a platform for building cross-platform desktop apps using web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. With Electron, you can build native desktop apps for Windows, macOS, and Linux using a single codebase. Electron is widely used by companies such as Slack, Discord, and Visual Studio Code.

NW.js

NW.js is another popular framework for building desktop apps with web technologies, including Vue. NW.js is similar to Electron in that it provides a platform for building cross-platform desktop apps using web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. However, NW.js uses a different approach to bundling and packaging the app, which can make it easier to build and deploy in some cases. NW.js is used by companies such as Trello and Adobe.

Quasar

Quasar is a Vue-based framework for building cross-platform apps, including desktop apps. Quasar provides a set of pre-built UI components and a CLI tool for generating and building the app. Quasar uses Electron under the hood for building desktop apps, but it also supports building mobile and web apps as well. Quasar is widely used by companies such as Huawei and Baidu.

Vue Desktop

Vue Desktop is a Vue-based framework specifically designed for building desktop apps. Vue Desktop uses a combination of Vue, Electron, and other web technologies to provide a platform for building native desktop apps for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Vue Desktop provides a set of pre-built UI components and a CLI tool for generating and building the app. Vue Desktop is a relatively new framework, but it shows promise for building desktop apps with Vue.

Vuido

Vuido is a Vue-based framework specifically designed for building lightweight desktop apps with a native look and feel. Vuido uses a combination of Vue and Node.js to provide a platform for building native desktop apps for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Vuido provides a set of pre-built UI components that look and behave like native desktop UI components, making it easy to build lightweight apps with a native look and feel. Vuido is used by companies such as Slack and JetBrains.

Each of these technologies has its strengths and weaknesses, and the best choice depends on the specific needs of your project. However, all of them provide a platform for building powerful and cross-platform desktop apps with Vue.

How to Build Desktop Applications with Vue.js?

To build desktop applications with Vue.js, we'll need to use a framework like Electron. Electron is a popular framework for building cross-platform desktop applications using web technologies. Electron works by combining Chromium and Node.js into a single runtime, which allows developers to build desktop applications using web technologies.

Sure, here is a step-by-step guide to building a simple todo app with Electron and VueJS:

1. Install Node.js and npm on your machine, if you haven't already. You can download them from the official Node.js website.
2. Install the Electron and Vue CLI using npm. Open a terminal and run the following commands:

npm install -g electron
npm install -g @vue/cli

Create a new Vue project using the Vue CLI. Open a terminal and run the following command:

vue create todo-app

Follow the prompts to set up your project. Choose the default settings for most of the options, but select Manually select features when prompted.

Select the following features:

• Babel
• Router
• Vuex
• CSS Pre-processors (Sass/SCSS)

Install the Electron dependencies for the project using npm. Open a terminal and run the following command:

cd todo-app
npm install --save-dev electron

Create an Electron entry file called "main.js" in the "public" directory of the project. Paste the following code into the file:

const { app, BrowserWindow } = require("electron");

let mainWindow;

function createWindow() {
  mainWindow = new BrowserWindow({
    width: 800,
    height: 600,
    webPreferences: {
      nodeIntegration: true,
    },
  });

  mainWindow.loadURL(
    process.env.NODE_ENV === "development"
      ? "http://localhost:8080"
      : `file://${__dirname}/index.html`
  );

  mainWindow.on("closed", () => {
    mainWindow = null;
  });
}

app.on("ready", createWindow);

app.on("window-all-closed", () => {
  if (process.platform !== "darwin") {
    app.quit();
  }
});

app.on("activate", () => {
  if (mainWindow === null) {
    createWindow();
  }
});

Modify the "package.json" file in the root of the project to include the following:

"main": "public/main.js",
"scripts": {
  "serve": "vue-cli-service serve",
  "build": "vue-cli-service build && electron ."
},

Create a new component called TodoList in the src/components directory of the project. Paste the following code into the file:

<template>
  <div>
    <h2>Todo List</h2>
    <ul>
      <li v-for="(todo, index) in todos" :key="index">
        
      </li>
    </ul>
  </div>
</template>

<script>
export default {
  data() {
    return {
      todos: [
        'Learn Vue',
        'Learn Electron',
        'Build a Todo App'
      ]
    }
  }
}
</script>

Modify the App.vue file in the src directory of the project to include the following:

<template>
  <div id="app">
    <TodoList />
  </div>
</template>

<script>
import TodoList from './components/TodoList.vue'

export default {
  name: 'App',
  components: {
    TodoList
  }
}
</script>

Run the app in development mode using the following command:

npm run serve

Build the app for production and launch it using Electron using the following command:

npm run build

Your simple todo app with Electron and VueJS should now be up and running!

Conclusion

In conclusion, Vue is a powerful framework that can be used to build desktop applications using a variety of tools and frameworks. Whether you're building a simple utility app or a complex business application, Vue provides the tools and flexibility you need to get the job done.

By leveraging Vue's component-based architecture and integrating with powerful tools like Electron, developers can build rich and interactive desktop applications that deliver a great user experience. So, if you're looking to build desktop applications with Vue, there's never been a better time to get started.