electron-vite-react/README.md

# vite-react-electron

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**English | [简体中文](README.zh-CN.md)**

## Overview

This is a `Vite`-integrated `Electron` template built with simplification in mind.

The repo contains only the most basic files, dependencies and functionalities to ensure flexibility for various scenarios. 

You need a basic understanding of `Electron` and `Vite` to get started. But that's not mandatory - you can learn almost all the details by reading through the source code. Trust me, this repo is not that complex. 😋

## Quick start

```sh
npm create electron-vite
```

![electron-vite-react.gif](https://github.com/electron-vite/electron-vite-react/blob/main/packages/renderer/public/electron-vite-react.gif?raw=true)

## Debug

![electron-vite-react-debug.gif](https://github.com/electron-vite/electron-vite-react/blob/main/packages/renderer/public/electron-vite-react-debug.gif?raw=true)

<!--
```sh
# clone the project
git clone https://github.com/caoxiemeihao/vite-react-electron.git

# open the project directory
cd vite-react-electron

# install dependencies
npm install

# start the application
npm run dev

# make a production build
npm run build
```
-->

## Directory structure

Once `dev` or `build` npm-script is executed, the `dist` folder will be generated. It has the same structure as the `packages` folder, the purpose of this design is to ensure the correct path calculation.

```tree
├── build                     Resources for the production build
|   ├── icon.icns             Icon for the application on macOS
|   ├── icon.ico              Icon for the application
|   ├── installerIcon.ico     Icon for the application installer
|   └── uninstallerIcon.ico   Icon for the application uninstaller
|
├── dist                      Generated after build according to the "packages" directory
|   ├── main
|   ├── preload
|   └── renderer
|
├── release                   Generated after production build, contains executables
|   └──{version}
|       ├── win-unpacked      Contains unpacked application executable
|       └── Setup.exe         Installer for the application
|
├── scripts
|   ├── build.mjs             Develop script -> npm run build
|   └── watch.mjs             Develop script -> npm run dev
|
├── packages
|   ├── main                  Main-process source code
|   |   └── vite.config.ts
|   ├── preload               Preload-script source code
|   |   └── vite.config.ts
|   └── renderer              Renderer-process source code
|       └── vite.config.ts
```

## Use Electron and NodeJS API

> 🚧 By default, Electron doesn't support the use of API related to Electron and NodeJS in the Renderer process, but someone might need to use it. If so, you can see the template 👉 **[electron-vite-boilerplate](https://github.com/caoxiemeihao/electron-vite-boilerplate)**

#### Invoke Electron and NodeJS API in `Preload-script`

- **packages/preload/index.ts**

    ```typescript
    import fs from "fs"
    import { contextBridge, ipcRenderer } from "electron"

    // --------- Expose some API to Renderer-process. ---------
    contextBridge.exposeInMainWorld("fs", fs)
    contextBridge.exposeInMainWorld("ipcRenderer", ipcRenderer)
    ```

- **packages/renderer/src/global.d.ts**

    ```typescript
    // Defined in the window
    interface Window {
      fs: typeof import("fs")
      ipcRenderer: import("electron").IpcRenderer
    }
    ```

- **packages/renderer/src/main.ts**

    ```typescript
    // Use Electron and NodeJS API in the Renderer-process
    console.log("fs", window.fs)
    console.log("ipcRenderer", window.ipcRenderer)
    ```

## Use SerialPort, SQLite3, or other node-native addons in the Main-process

- First, you need to make sure that the dependencies in the `package.json` are NOT in the "devDependencies". Because the project will need them after packaged.

- Main-process, Preload-script are also built with Vite, and they're built as [build.lib](https://vitejs.dev/config/#build-lib).  
    So they just need to configure Rollup.

**Click to see more** 👉 [packages/main/vite.config.ts](https://github.com/caoxiemeihao/vite-react-electron/blob/main/packages/main/vite.config.ts)

```js
export default {
  build: {
    // built lib for Main-process, Preload-script
    lib: {
      entry: "index.ts",
      formats: ["cjs"],
      fileName: () => "[name].js",
    },
    rollupOptions: {
      // configuration here
      external: ["serialport", "sqlite3"],
    },
  },
}
```

## `dependencies` vs `devDependencies`

- First, you need to know if your dependencies are needed after the application is packaged.

- Like [serialport](https://www.npmjs.com/package/serialport), [sqlite3](https://www.npmjs.com/package/sqlite3) they are node-native modules and should be placed in `dependencies`. In addition, Vite will not build them, but treat them as external modules.

- Dependencies like [Vue](https://www.npmjs.com/package/vue) and [React](https://www.npmjs.com/package/react), which are pure javascript modules that can be built with Vite, can be placed in `devDependencies`. This reduces the size of the application.

<!--
## Result

<img width="400px" src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/caoxiemeihao/blog/main/vite-react-electron/react-win.png" />
-->