https://github.com/avh4/elm-desktop-app

the simplest way to write desktop applications in Elm
https://github.com/avh4/elm-desktop-app

Last synced: about 1 month ago
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the simplest way to write desktop applications in Elm

• Host: GitHub
• URL: https://github.com/avh4/elm-desktop-app
• Owner: avh4
• License: mit
• Created: 2019-05-12T02:10:18.000Z (about 6 years ago)
• Default Branch: main
• Last Pushed: 2020-12-17T22:00:52.000Z (over 4 years ago)
• Last Synced: 2025-03-02T14:15:37.606Z (5 months ago)
• Language: Elm
• Homepage:
• Size: 220 KB
• Stars: 47
• Watchers: 8
• Forks: 4
• Open Issues: 11
• Metadata Files:
  • Readme: README.md
  • Contributing: CONTRIBUTING.md
  • License: LICENSE

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[![Build Status](https://travis-ci.org/avh4/elm-desktop-app.svg?branch=master)](https://travis-ci.org/avh4/elm-desktop-app)

[![Latest Elm package version](https://img.shields.io/elm-package/v/avh4/elm-desktop-app.svg?label=elm)][elm-package]

[![Latest CLI version](https://img.shields.io/npm/v/elm-desktop-app.svg)][npm-package]

`elm-desktop-app` is the simplest way to write desktop applications in [Elm].

It's built on top of [Electron], and it currently supports the following uses:

- Your app can **persist state to disk** as a JSON file

  - automatically to your end user's ["userData" directory](https://electronjs.org/docs/api/app#appgetpathname)

  - to a JSON file specified by your end user

- Build and package **Mac, Linux, and Windows apps**

- (soon) prepare and publish an npm package that can launch your app from the command line

[Elm]: https://elm-lang.org/

[Electron]: https://electronjs.org/

[elm-package]: https://package.elm-lang.org/packages/avh4/elm-desktop-app/latest/

[npm-package]: https://www.npmjs.com/package/elm-desktop-app

## Usage

Use the [`elm-desktop-app`][npm-package] command line tool to create a new project, which includes a dependency on the [`avh4/elm-desktop-app`][elm-package] Elm pacakge and a working starting-point for you app:

```sh

npm install -g elm-desktop-app

mkdir my-app

cd my-app

elm-desktop-app init

```

Edit the generated `src/Main.elm` to implement your app and define how to persist data (you can see the [full example code here](https://github.com/avh4/elm-desktop-app/tree/master/example)):

```elm

import DesktopApp

import DesktopApp.JsonMapping as JsonMapping

main : DesktopApp.Program Model Msg

main =

    DesktopApp.program

        { init = ( init, Cmd.none )

        , update = \msg model -> ( update msg model, Cmd.none )

        , subscriptions = \model -> Sub.none

        , view = view

        , persistence = Just persistence

        }

        

type alias Model =

    { name : String

    , count : Int

    }

    

...

    

persistence : JsonMapping.ObjectMapping Model Msg

persistence =

    JsonMapping.object Loaded

        |> JsonMapping.with "name" .name JsonMapping.string

        |> JsonMapping.with "count" .count JsonMapping.int

```

Use the command line tool to run your app:

```sh

elm-desktop-app run

```

![Screenshot of the running example app](https://github.com/avh4/elm-desktop-app/raw/master/screenshot.png)

The user data for your app is automatically persisted! 💾🎉

You can easily build Mac, Linux, and Windows packages (packages are built to `./elm-stuff/elm-desktop-app/app/dist/`):

```sh

elm-desktop-app package

```