nx-electron/README.md

Electron Plugin for Nx

<p align="center"><img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/bennymeg/nx-electron/master/nx-electron.png" width="240"></p>

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# Nx Electron

Electron builders and schematics for Nrwl Nx platform.

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# Features

`Nx Electron` provides a set of power ups on [Nx](https://nx.dev) for developing cross platform desktop apps using [Electron](https://electronjs.org/).

- **Schematics**: Provides schematics for developing cross platform apps in a mono repo environment.
- **Typescript**: Uses Typescript to help reduce errors, and create more structured code.
- **Obfuscation**: Since Electron are used on the client machines, nx-electron obfuscates you code (and only it).
- **Minimization**: Electron apps tend to be quite large, hence we use webpack to bundle, and minimize to code.
- **Live Update**: Provides continuous live reload for your backend code.
- **Event Templates**: Provides templates for common events like squirrel setup events, auto update events and IPC events.
- **Packaging**: Packages your frontend and backend webpack bundles into an electron package.
- **Making**: Makes your frontend and backend webpack bundles into single standalone executable.

# Compatibility

> [!IMPORTANT] 
> This repository follows the semantic versioning rules while adhering to both Nx and Angular versioning scheme.
> **Make sure that `Nx Electron` major version match Nx major version**.
> I.e. version 21.x of `Nx Electron` will be compatible with version 21.y of Nx. 

# Getting Started

## Prerequisite

This module is based on Nx, you will need to [set up an Nx workspace](https://nx.dev/web/getting-started/getting-started) before you can use `Nx Electron`.

```bash
npx create-nx-workspace@21
```

## Installation

```bash
npm install -D nx-electron
```

## Creating Nx Electron Application

```bash
nx g nx-electron:app <electron-app-name> --frontendProject=<frontend-app-name>
```

> [!IMPORTANT] 
> Make sure to select Integrated monorepo as a project style, and Webpack as a bundler.

> [!NOTE] 
> You should add a frontend project to you workspace prior to invoking this command.

> [!TIP]
> On certain frontend platforms (such as Angular, React, etc...) it is important to:
> 1. [change the baseHref field to "./"](https://github.com/dmatora/nx-electron-boilerplate/commit/b70da7a2ce730c7e2af7f4c1d69f30212eabfeb4).
> 2. Use router outlet hash strategy.
> Further details can be found [here](https://github.com/bennymeg/nx-electron/issues/18#issuecomment-616982776).

> [!NOTE]
> `Nx Electron` application usually contain both frontend and backend. 
> When you wish to build, serve, test, etc. your application, make sure to invoke the command for both the frontend and the backend. 
> Most of the the time, side-by-side terminal windows are more convenient.

### Building Nx Electron Application

- Frontend: Run `nxe:build:frontend` or `nx build <frontend-app-name>` to build your frontend application.
- Backend: Run `nxe:build:backend` or `nx build <electron-app-name>` to build your backend application.

### Serving Nx Electron Application

- Frontend: Run `nxe:serve:frontend` or `nx serve <frontend-app-name>` to serve your frontend application.
- Backend: Run `nxe:serve:backend` or `nx serve <electron-app-name>` to serve your backend application.

### Testing Nx Electron Application

- Frontend: Run `nxe:test:frontend` or `nx test <frontend-app-name>` to test your frontend application.
- Backend: Run `nxe:test:backend` or `nx test <electron-app-name>` to test your backend application.

### Packaging Nx Electron Application

- Run `nxe:package:app` or `nx run <electron-app-name>:package [--options]` to package your application.

    The options that can be passed are described [here](https://github.com/bennymeg/nx-electron/blob/master/packages/nx-electron/src/validation/maker.schema.json).

    > [!IMPORTANT] 
    > Make sure to build both the frontend project and the backend project before packaging your application.

### Making Nx Electron Application (standalone build)

- Run `nxe:make:app` or `nx run <electron-app-name>:make [--options]` to make your standalone application.

    The options that can be passed are described [here](https://github.com/bennymeg/nx-electron/blob/master/packages/nx-electron/src/validation/maker.schema.json).

    > [!IMPORTANT] 
    > Make sure to build both the frontend project and the backend project before making your standalone application.

## Configuring static packaging / making options

It is possible to configure all the packaging / making [options](https://www.electron.build/configuration/configuration) in _`.\apps\<electron-app-name>\src\app\options\maker.options.json`_. For more information [read this article](https://github.com/bennymeg/nx-electron/blob/master/docs/packaging.md).

> [!IMPORTANT] 
> Option you define at this file will override the options you pass manually via the command line or choose via the angular console.

## Migrating Nx Electron Application

To migrate automatically run `ng update nx-electron@<version>`.
You can find detailed information in the following [migration guides](https://github.com/bennymeg/nx-electron/blob/master/docs/migration/).

## Debugging Nx Electron Application

- Follow [this instructions](https://github.com/bennymeg/nx-electron/blob/master/docs/debugging.md) in order to configure the debugger your IDE.

## Minimal Project Structure

Regardless of what framework you chose, the resulting file tree will look like this:

```treeview
<workspace name>/
├── apps/
│   ├── electron-app-name/
│   ├── frontend-app-name/
│   └── frontend-app-name-e2e/
├── libs/
├── tools/
├── nx.json
├── package.json
├── tsconfig.json
└── tslint.json
```

<!-- ## Documentation ##
- 👨🏼‍💻 [API](https://github.com/bennymeg/nx-electron/blob/master/docs/API.md),
- 👩🏼‍🏫 [Examples](https://github.com/bennymeg/nx-electron/blob/master/docs/examples),
- 📜 [Change log](https://github.com/bennymeg/nx-electron/blob/master/docs/CHANGELOG.md),
- 🖋 [License](https://github.com/bennymeg/nx-electron/blob/master/LICENSE) -->

## Support

If you're having any problem, please [raise an issue](https://github.com/bennymeg/nx-electron/issues/new) on GitHub and we'll be happy to help.

## Contribute

- Follow [this instructions](https://github.com/bennymeg/nx-electron/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md) in order to learn how to contribute to this project.

## Attribution

This project is highly inspired by (and dependent on) Nrwl [Nx](https://nx.dev) platform.
Under the hood, we use [Electron Builder](https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-builder) to package and make electron application executables.

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**Author:** Benny Megidish.