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I know some people think Electron is cancer[1], but it is the fastest way to write cross-platform applications. I've been trying to learn to make apps for macOS

I know some people think Electron is cancer[1], but it is the fastest way to write cross-platform applications. I've been trying to learn to make apps for macOS, and it feels like even Apple doesn't want me write apps for the Mac. [1]:https://medium.com/commitlog/electron-is-cancer-b066108e6c32 https://medium.com/commitlog/electron-is-cancer-b066108e6c32

mizaru 8y ago
128 MB for something that should be a couple hundred KB at best? Yes, it is cancer.
- IMTDb 8y ago
  Well now it's 128MB for something that did not exist.
  - Ultramanoid 8y ago
    Been using GColor2 forever on Linux. And I believe there are others. Don't really see how this improves it. I use Mac OS as well but I don't miss the color picker from Mac OS when I'm using Linux, not sure what his problem is. Or the attitude in general, I wouldn't want to be running something showing at all times such a cute name on screen. No thanks.
  - detaro 8y ago
    Which platform supported by Electron does not have existing color picker applications?
- laichzeit0 8y ago
  Provide an alternative to the cancer that has every single advantage of Electron.
  - jschwartzi 8y ago
    Qt
    - Veen 8y ago
      One of the advantages of Electron is that apps can be written in JavaScript and other web technologies, making it accessible to many more developers.
      - jschwartzi 8y ago
        You can use QML and QtQuick and use Javascript plus a markup langauge.
jacobedawson 8y ago
I'd like for people to drop the whole 'x is cancer' thing since aside from the actual fuckery of cancer most things aren't that bad. A little too flippant imo :)
nieksand 8y ago
Is it actually faster to develop in Electron than with QT and C++? It has been over a decade, but I remember it being both straight-forward and pleasant to support Linux, Windows, and MacOS. I vaguely recall supporting Solaris too.
- mosselman 8y ago
  I don't know about QT and C++, but a while ago I wanted to try out Electron and I just could not figure out how to build anything with it.
- babuskov 8y ago
  Web developers using Electron probably count in the time to learn C++ vs the fact that they already know web stack. ;)
  - 781 8y ago
    As a C++ developer who had to learn Javascript and Vue to write an Electron app, it was still faster than writing the same app in QT (which I used before).
    - pooya72 8y ago
      How and why was it faster? Did it have to do with the tooling?
      - deleted 8y ago
        [deleted]
  - jschwartzi 8y ago
    Of they can just use QML and use JavaScript and a declarative language for their UI.
  - laurentl 8y ago
    I just realized this morning that JavaScript is the new Java. js targets the browser (angular, React...), the back-end (node), the desktop (Electron) and mobile (React native). Just like the Java of old with applets, javax, JME, and of course weblogic and friends, js today allows you to code anything, as long as you don’t mind doing it badly, insecurely and/or wastefully. Due to this ubiquity, a large majority of job openings list js in one form or another as a prerequisite (remember when entreprise code was synonymous with Java?) Once you know enough js to be dangerous, there’s little incentive to pick up another programming language.
Waterluvian 8y ago
I think the bottom line is that most of the time you see an electron app, just say to yourself, "this wouldn't exist if electron didn't exist." It isn't replacing app dev. It's adding more app developers.
happyweasel 8y ago
cancer is also one of the "fastest way" to grow some kind of tissue. That might kill you in the end.
AnIdiotOnTheNet 8y ago
> it is the fastest way to write cross-platform applications. I disagree. Maybe that's true if you're a webdev unwilling to learn anything else, but Lazarus is the fastest way I've found to write cross-platform GUI software, and as a bonus it compiles to native code in a single executable.

mizaru 8y ago

128 MB for something that should be a couple hundred KB at best? Yes, it is cancer.

IMTDb 8y ago
Well now it's 128MB for something that did not exist.
- Ultramanoid 8y ago
  Been using GColor2 forever on Linux. And I believe there are others. Don't really see how this improves it. I use Mac OS as well but I don't miss the color picker from Mac OS when I'm using Linux, not sure what his problem is. Or the attitude in general, I wouldn't want to be running something showing at all times such a cute name on screen. No thanks.
- detaro 8y ago
  Which platform supported by Electron does not have existing color picker applications?
laichzeit0 8y ago
Provide an alternative to the cancer that has every single advantage of Electron.
- jschwartzi 8y ago
  Qt
  - Veen 8y ago
    One of the advantages of Electron is that apps can be written in JavaScript and other web technologies, making it accessible to many more developers.
    - jschwartzi 8y ago
      You can use QML and QtQuick and use Javascript plus a markup langauge.

jacobedawson 8y ago

I'd like for people to drop the whole 'x is cancer' thing since aside from the actual fuckery of cancer most things aren't that bad. A little too flippant imo :)

nieksand 8y ago

Is it actually faster to develop in Electron than with QT and C++? It has been over a decade, but I remember it being both straight-forward and pleasant to support Linux, Windows, and MacOS. I vaguely recall supporting Solaris too.

mosselman 8y ago
I don't know about QT and C++, but a while ago I wanted to try out Electron and I just could not figure out how to build anything with it.
babuskov 8y ago
Web developers using Electron probably count in the time to learn C++ vs the fact that they already know web stack. ;)
- 781 8y ago
  As a C++ developer who had to learn Javascript and Vue to write an Electron app, it was still faster than writing the same app in QT (which I used before).
  - pooya72 8y ago
    How and why was it faster? Did it have to do with the tooling?
    - deleted 8y ago
      [deleted]
- jschwartzi 8y ago
  Of they can just use QML and use JavaScript and a declarative language for their UI.
- laurentl 8y ago
  I just realized this morning that JavaScript is the new Java. js targets the browser (angular, React...), the back-end (node), the desktop (Electron) and mobile (React native). Just like the Java of old with applets, javax, JME, and of course weblogic and friends, js today allows you to code anything, as long as you don’t mind doing it badly, insecurely and/or wastefully. Due to this ubiquity, a large majority of job openings list js in one form or another as a prerequisite (remember when entreprise code was synonymous with Java?) Once you know enough js to be dangerous, there’s little incentive to pick up another programming language.

Waterluvian 8y ago

I think the bottom line is that most of the time you see an electron app, just say to yourself, "this wouldn't exist if electron didn't exist." It isn't replacing app dev. It's adding more app developers.

happyweasel 8y ago

cancer is also one of the "fastest way" to grow some kind of tissue. That might kill you in the end.

AnIdiotOnTheNet 8y ago

> it is the fastest way to write cross-platform applications. I disagree. Maybe that's true if you're a webdev unwilling to learn anything else, but Lazarus is the fastest way I've found to write cross-platform GUI software, and as a bonus it compiles to native code in a single executable.