Electron (software framework): Difference between revisions

Revision as of 17:37, 1 March 2024

Revision as of 14:35, 3 March 2024

Line 102:

|}

== ReceptionUsage ==

{{Main|List of software using Electron}}

Desktop applications built with Electron include [[Atom (text editor)|Atom]],<ref name="electron-blog">{{cite web |last1=Sawicki |first1=Kevin |date=23 April 2015 |title=Atom Shell is now Electron |url=https://electronjs.org/blog/2015/04/23/electron|work=Electron|date=23 April 2015|accessurl-datestatus=15dead July 2017|archive-date=16 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191016124310/https://electronjs.org/blog/electron |urlarchive-statusdate=dead16 October 2019 |access-date=15 July 2017 |work=Electron}}</ref> [[Etcher (software)|balenaEtcher]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Etcher on GitHub|website=[[GitHub]] |url=https://github.com/balena-io/etcher|access-date=7 July 2020|archiveurl-datestatus=16live November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116012922/https://github.com/balena-io/etcher |urlarchive-statusdate=live16 November 2018 |access-date=7 July 2020 |website=[[GitHub]]}}</ref> [[Eclipse Theia]],<ref name="theia" /> [[Microsoft Teams]],<ref name="ms-teams">{{Cite web |last=msdmaguire |title=How Microsoft Teams uses memory - Microsoft Teams |url=https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/teams-memory-usage-perf |accessurl-datestatus=2021-11-12|website=docs.microsoft.com|language=en-us|archive-date=8live December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201208013106/https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/teams-memory-usage-perf |urlarchive-statusdate=live8 December 2020 |access-date=2021-11-12 |website=docs.microsoft.com |language=en-us}}</ref> [[Slack (software)|Slack]]<ref name="slack">{{cite news |date=25 October 2016 |title=Building hybrid applications with Electron |url=https://slack.engineering/building-hybrid-applications-with-electron-dc67686de5fb|work=Several People Are Coding|date=25 October 2016|accessurl-datestatus=12live August 2017|archive-date=16 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191016124311/https://slack.engineering/building-hybrid-applications-with-electron-dc67686de5fb?gi=b2a5127226ea |urlarchive-statusdate=live16 October 2019 |access-date=12 August 2017 |work=Several People Are Coding}}</ref> and [[Visual Studio Code]].<ref name="ars-electron">{{cite web |last1=Bright |first1=Peter |date=29 April 2015 |title=Microsoft's new Code editor is built on Google's Chromium |url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/04/microsofts-new-code-editor-is-built-on-googles-chromium/|work=[[Ars Technica]]|date=29 April 2015|accessurl-datestatus=18live November 2015|archive-date=7 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150507020146/https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/04/microsofts-new-code-editor-is-built-on-googles-chromium/ |urlarchive-statusdate=live7 May 2015 |access-date=18 November 2015 |work=[[Ars Technica]]}}</ref><ref name="gh-source">{{cite web |date=29 March 2022 |title=Open Source project |url=https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode|title=Open Source project|website=[[GitHub]]|date=29 March 2022|accessurl-datestatus=20live May 2018|archive-date=23 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151123164810/https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode |urlarchive-statusdate=live23 November 2015 |access-date=20 May 2018 |website=[[GitHub]]}}</ref> [[Brave Browser]] was based on Electron before it was rewritten to use Chromium directly.<ref>{{cite web |urllast=Singh |first=Jagmeet |date=https://www.opensourceforu.com/2017/-01/javascript-creator-brendan-eich-interview/03 |title=People are now even doing machine learning in JavaScript|first=Jagmeet|last=Singh|publisher=Open Source For U|dateurl=https://www.opensourceforu.com/2017-/01/javascript-03|accessdate=2022creator-08brendan-26eich-interview/ |archiveurl-datestatus=7live January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170107122039/https://www.opensourceforu.com/2017/01/javascript-creator-brendan-eich-interview/ |urlarchive-statusdate=live7 January 2017 |accessdate=2022-08-26 |publisher=Open Source For U}}</ref>

== Reception ==

The most common criticism of Electron is that it necessitates [[software bloat]] when used for simple programs.<ref>{{cite web |urllast=Proven |first=Liam |date=https://www.theregister.com/2021/-11/-19/friday_foss_fest/ |title=Some FOSS gems: Franz, RamBox, Pidgin and more|first=Liam|last=Proven|publisher=The Register|dateurl=https://www.theregister.com/2021-/11-/19/friday_foss_fest/ |accessdate=2022url-08-26|archive-datestatus=19live November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211119235239/https://www.theregister.com/2021/11/19/friday_foss_fest/ |urlarchive-statusdate=live19 November 2021 |accessdate=2022-08-26 |publisher=The Register}}</ref> As a result, [[Michael Larabel]] has referred to the framework as "notorious among most Linux desktop users for being resource heavy, not integrating well with most desktops, and generally being despised."<ref>{{cite web |urllast=https://www.phoronix.com/news/HTML5Larabel |first=Michael |date=2019-Golang02-Desktop-Apps09 |title=Electron Apps Are Bad, So Now You Can Create Desktop Apps With HTML5 + Golang |firsturl=Michael|last=Larabel|publisher=Phoronix|date=2019https://www.phoronix.com/news/HTML5-02Golang-09|accessdate=2022Desktop-08-26Apps |archiveurl-datestatus=26live August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220826131838/https://www.phoronix.com/news/HTML5-Golang-Desktop-Apps |urlarchive-statusdate=live26 August 2022 |accessdate=2022-08-26 |publisher=Phoronix}}</ref> Meanwhile, Joey Sneddon states that this tradeoff is sensible as Electron greatly lowers the cost of developing and maintaining cross-platform software.<ref>{{cite web |urllast=Sneddon |first=Joey |date=https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2017/-07/why-electron-apps-arent-bad-223 |title=Seriously folks, Electron apps aren't that bad|first=Joey|last=Sneddon|publisher=OMG Ubuntu|dateurl=https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2017-/07/why-23|accessdate=2022electron-08apps-26arent-bad-2 |archiveurl-datestatus=16live May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180516103739/https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2017/07/why-electron-apps-arent-bad-2 |urlarchive-statusdate=live16 May 2018 |accessdate=2022-08-26 |publisher=OMG Ubuntu}}</ref>

Researchers have shown that Electron's large feature set can be hijacked by bad actors with write access to the source JavaScript files. This requires root access on *nix systems and isn't considered to be a vulnerability by the Electron developers.<ref>{{cite web |last=Gallagher |first=Sean |date=2019-08-07 |title=Skype, Slack, other Electron based apps can be easily backdoored |url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2019/08/skype-slack-other-electron-based-apps-can-be-easily-backdoored/|title=Skype, Slack, other Electron based apps can be easily backdoored|first=Sean|last=Gallagher|publisher=Ars Technica|date=2019url-08-07|accessdatestatus=2022-08-26|archive-date=7live August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190807173425/https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2019/08/skype-slack-other-electron-based-apps-can-be-easily-backdoored/ |urlarchive-statusdate=live7 August 2019 |accessdate=2022-08-26 |publisher=Ars Technica}}</ref> Those who are concerned that Electron is not always based on the newest version of Chromium have recommended [[progressive web application]]s as an alternative.<ref>{{cite web |last=Hoffman |first=Chris |date=2019-08-15 |title=That native app is probably just an old web browser |url=https://www.howtogeek.com/436841/that-native-app-is-probably-just-an-old-web-browser/|title=That native app is probably just an old web browser|first=Chris|last=Hoffman|publisher=How To Geek|date=2019url-08-15|accessdatestatus=2022-08-26|archive-date=15live August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190815143207/https://www.howtogeek.com/436841/that-native-app-is-probably-just-an-old-web-browser/ |urlarchive-statusdate=live15 August 2019 |accessdate=2022-08-26 |publisher=How To Geek}}</ref>

== See also ==