Can you do Desktop Development using JavaScript?

Question

I know there's JScript.NET, but it isn't the same as the JavaScript we know from the web.

Does anyone know if there are any JavaScript based platforms/compilers for desktop development? Most specifically Windows desktop development.

I did this back then: [link](http://alinacierdem.com/standalone-javascript-application-with-chromium/) — Ali Naci Erdem, Mar 01 '16 at 11:56

score 26 · Answer 1 · answered Sep 20 '08 at 21:17

26

There is XULRunner, which let's you build GUI apps like Firefox using JavaScript and XUL. It has a lot of extension to JavaScript though, using XPCOM. They also offer Prism which let's you build web apps that work offline, sort of like AIR. Yahoo uses it for their Zimbra email desktop client.

answered Sep 20 '08 at 21:17

Zach

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Instead of Prism you could use Google Chrome and then you could use the built in Google Gears support for offline storage. – Sam Hasler Sep 20 '08 at 22:32
I was so excited to find XULRunner a couple of years ago, but then found out that it doesn't support any of the abilities firefox has for DOM manipulation and other stuff I'd expected to get (I don't remember what else it didn't have, maybe AJAX?) – Madd0g Dec 13 '11 at 18:09

score 25 · Answer 2 · answered Sep 20 '08 at 21:09

25

Yes, with Adobe AIR. Adobe AIR lets you make desktop applications with Javascript, Flex, or Flash.

answered Sep 20 '08 at 21:09

Justin Poliey

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score 25 · Answer 3 · edited Dec 03 '13 at 22:43

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Looks like there are 3 types of html5-desktop app

SDK

Browser runtime

Node.js based

edited Dec 03 '13 at 22:43

hkk

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answered Oct 28 '12 at 22:48

gustavodiazjaimes

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Add electronjs to Node.js based – anirus Jan 29 '18 at 19:45

Chris Pietschmann · Accepted Answer · 2013-03-18T14:11:53.937

14

Windows 8 allows for Windows Store Apps to be written in HTML5/JavaScript.

edited Mar 18 '13 at 14:11

answered Dec 13 '11 at 17:52

Chris Pietschmann

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+1: windows 8 is pretty cool! – naveen Jan 22 '12 at 07:18
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That reminds me of node-webkit (a similar framework for node.js): http://stackoverflow.com/questions/8794140/is-it-possible-to-create-desktop-applications-with-node-js – Anderson Green Nov 15 '12 at 06:39

Michael Allan Jackson · Answer 5 · 2013-09-11T05:35:28.980

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"node-webkit is an app runtime based on Chromium and node.js. You can write native apps in HTML and Javascript with node-webkit. It also lets you call Node.js modules directly from the DOM..."

edited Sep 11 '13 at 05:35

answered Aug 15 '12 at 05:24

Michael Allan Jackson

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Node-webkit looks really interesting: it allows you to access node.js libraries directly from a web browser, all in one .html file. – Anderson Green Nov 15 '12 at 16:14

score 8 · Answer 6 · answered Oct 18 '09 at 05:56

8

There's Titanium Developer which is similar to Adobe AIR (html+css+javascript), but does not require a framework to be pre-installed.

answered Oct 18 '09 at 05:56

Muxa

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[The Future of Titanium Desktop](http://developer.appcelerator.com/blog/2012/01/the-future-of-titanium-desktop.html) – Michael Allan Jackson Aug 15 '12 at 03:18

score 7 · Answer 7 · answered Sep 21 '08 at 12:10

7

You can make a desktop application using XML and javascript (and/or VBS) using the Windows Script host.

The trick is to save your XML file with a .hta extension. See this reference.

answered Sep 21 '08 at 12:10

dsm

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I forgot about this, I'll have to try it out a little bit more. Thanks! – Chris Pietschmann Sep 22 '08 at 20:37
It would be nice if it could be compiled too. – Chris Pietschmann Sep 22 '08 at 20:38
true... maybe under .NET? I haven't tried it tho as I stopped using windows way back, but it may be worth looking up – dsm Sep 22 '08 at 20:41
can't find anything like it in MSDN. Then again, I probably didn't look hard enough – dsm Sep 22 '08 at 20:48

score 6 · Answer 8 · answered Sep 20 '08 at 21:35

6

There's SpiderMonkey, a JavaScript engine written in C and Rhino, an implementation of JavaScript in Java.

answered Sep 20 '08 at 21:35

David G

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score 5 · Answer 9 · edited Aug 05 '14 at 10:17

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Try AppJS, It is an SDK on top of NodeJS and Chromium Embedded Framework. You can build desktop apps easily with the web technologies.

Webpage: http://appjs.com
Github: https://github.com/appjs

edited Aug 05 '14 at 10:17

Ken Herbert

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answered Sep 08 '12 at 17:33

Morteza Milani

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AppJS is Deprecated – SatA Jun 01 '16 at 14:48

score 3 · Answer 10 · answered Sep 20 '08 at 21:26

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Google Gears. There's also Mozilla's XUL, but it's too bit complicated, IMHO (albeit extremely powerful).

answered Sep 20 '08 at 21:26

Mike Hordecki

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It appears that Google Gears is no longer supported. – Anderson Green Nov 15 '12 at 16:12

score 3 · Answer 11 · answered Sep 29 '12 at 12:31

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Google has a new interesting technology going on. It's in a quite early stage but works good already. It's called Packaged Apps and is using Chrome as a runtime and works on both Pc and Mac. Have a look at http://developer.chrome.com/apps/about_apps.html

answered Sep 29 '12 at 12:31

arpo

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This looks very similar to node-webkit (which allows node.js libraries to be used in HTML documents, just like browser-side Javascript.) – Anderson Green Nov 28 '12 at 01:36
Yes Node-Webkit looks very promising. Started looking in to it some days ago. Have a look: [link](https://github.com/rogerwang/node-webkit) – arpo Nov 28 '12 at 07:43
I'm familiar with node-webkit already, but does "Packaged Apps" allow node.js functions to be used in the HTML DOM (like node-webkit?) – Anderson Green Nov 29 '12 at 02:11
No it doesn't as far as I know. I found this project on Github but it's not much there yet. [link](https://github.com/arunoda/chrome-node). This might be something too, haven't checked yet. [link](http://nodejs.davidherron.com/2012/10/chrome-apps-office-hours-nodejs-in.html) – arpo Nov 29 '12 at 08:04
See also my answer here: [link](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/12490825/save-without-prompt-in-a-chrome-packaged-app/13623999#13623999) – arpo Nov 29 '12 at 10:48
It is not recommended to use Chrome packaged apps anymore -- see http://blog.chromium.org/2016/08/from-chrome-apps-to-web.html – thdoan Sep 02 '16 at 07:20

score 2 · Answer 12 · answered May 08 '10 at 07:30

2

Another option I didn't see mentioned is for Cocoa (Mac OS X, iPhone OS) applications you can use a web view (embedded WebKit) as the application UI.

answered May 08 '10 at 07:30

eyelidlessness

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score 2 · Answer 13 · answered Dec 21 '16 at 23:42

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Electron, originally Atom Shell, allows applications to be written in web technologies (HTML, JS, CSS) and run on any of the major operating systems, including Windows.

answered Dec 21 '16 at 23:42

Hatchet

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score 2 · Answer 14 · answered Dec 04 '10 at 21:10

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You can try JavaLikeScript, it does not provide the same native/root objects that a web browser but it has network and user interface features.

answered Dec 04 '10 at 21:10

jls

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score 1 · Answer 15 · answered Sep 20 '08 at 21:11

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There's Yahoo's Konfabulator for the windows desktop.

answered Sep 20 '08 at 21:11

Kris

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score 1 · Answer 16 · answered Sep 20 '08 at 21:39

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Script# has extensions for Vista Gadgets.

http://projects.nikhilk.net/ScriptSharp/

answered Sep 20 '08 at 21:39

mattlant

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score 0 · Answer 17 · edited Sep 19 '11 at 18:19

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Here are some JSOS (Javascript Operating Systems), sort-of still need a browser.

http://fractalbrain.net/ /* The Best. */

http://cometdesktop.com/ /* Alright. */

http://skylightproject.com/ /* Worst */

edited Sep 19 '11 at 18:19

a_m0d

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answered May 08 '10 at 07:14

JamesM-SiteGen

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Can you explain what you mean by "sort-of still need a browser"? – Anderson Green Nov 29 '12 at 02:13

score 0 · Answer 18 · answered Feb 27 '15 at 21:27

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I answered with node-webkit above, but I recently saw a presentation on Tint2. It seems to address security concerns with node-webkit and looks promising.

answered Feb 27 '15 at 21:27

Michael Allan Jackson

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Can you do Desktop Development using JavaScript?

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