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This is encouraging. An Electron competitor would be really nice. I'd be especially interested in an Electron-but-for-Python, along the lines of PythonWebkit:

This is encouraging. An Electron competitor would be really nice. I'd be especially interested in an Electron-but-for-Python, along the lines of PythonWebkit: https://www.gnu.org/software/pythonwebkit/ https://www.gnu.org/software/pythonwebkit/

olah_1 6y ago
The rust electron competitor is already here https://tauri.studio/en/ https://tauri.studio/en/
- webmaven 6y ago
  Nice! Okay, so now I want Tauri-but-for-Python.
  - olah_1 6y ago
    They are adding bindings to other languages like Python in Q1 2021 (so says their website)
    - webmaven 6y ago
      Thanks for pointing that out. I wonder if the Python etc. APIs will be full peers of the Rust and JS ones, including the same access to the DOM. I'll keep an eye on the project.
- Nkuna 6y ago
  Interesting project as they seem to be tackling the same problem as the Flutter team whom started with mobile and are steadily working their way up the stack. Though it should be said repurposing a desktop first framework for a mobile paradigm is much harder than the inverse. Cheers for this. Definitely keeping tabs on the project.
  - olah_1 6y ago
    Flutter does seem super cool. I agree with you too about it being easier to focus on mobile first. The problem is the ecosystem is small. If your use case doesn't fit their widgets, you have to do a lot of workaround stuff. Although this app stands out as a success in my mind: https://fluffychat.im/en/ https://fluffychat.im/en/
pjmlp 6y ago
The Electron competitor is called the Web platform. Just write your application in Django and start the local browser. Use Web APIs to trigger interactions with native APIs from Python code.
- webmaven 6y ago
  Okay, so I'm curious as to why you think desktop applications are ever built as Electron apps rather than just as a local web app server that opens the desktop browser? After all, that approach was pioneered by Dave Winer around 2000 or so, and never really caught on. On the other hand, Electron has exploded as a platform.
  - pjmlp 6y ago
    Because of lazy devs stuck into worshiping Chrome. Using daemons implies actually knowing the underlying platforms and writing proper cross browser applications.
    - webmaven 6y ago
      Umm. You're basically implying that all desktop developers are lazy. There ought to be some desktop developers who see the advantages of your preferred solution, where are they, and where are their apps?
      - pjmlp 6y ago
        Those using Electron aren't desktop developers, so no I am to implying that all desktop developers are lazy. Thankfully Electron is just a tiny percentage of apps that with exception of VSCode and Slack I can abstain myself from ever touching, with plenty of native or proper Web alternatives that don't augment the hegemony of ChromeOS. As for examples with daemons using Web GUIs, ever heard of CUPS and SharePoint?
        webmaven 6y ago
        > Those using Electron aren't desktop developers, I think you are getting into "No True Scotsman" territory here. > ever heard of CUPS and SharePoint? I haven't messed with either in quite a while, but are the use-cases for those UIs supposed to be from the same machine serving them (ie. a desktop app equivalent), rather than over the network?

olah_1 6y ago

The rust electron competitor is already here https://tauri.studio/en/ https://tauri.studio/en/

webmaven 6y ago
Nice! Okay, so now I want Tauri-but-for-Python.
- olah_1 6y ago
  They are adding bindings to other languages like Python in Q1 2021 (so says their website)
  - webmaven 6y ago
    Thanks for pointing that out. I wonder if the Python etc. APIs will be full peers of the Rust and JS ones, including the same access to the DOM. I'll keep an eye on the project.
Nkuna 6y ago
Interesting project as they seem to be tackling the same problem as the Flutter team whom started with mobile and are steadily working their way up the stack. Though it should be said repurposing a desktop first framework for a mobile paradigm is much harder than the inverse. Cheers for this. Definitely keeping tabs on the project.
- olah_1 6y ago
  Flutter does seem super cool. I agree with you too about it being easier to focus on mobile first. The problem is the ecosystem is small. If your use case doesn't fit their widgets, you have to do a lot of workaround stuff. Although this app stands out as a success in my mind: https://fluffychat.im/en/ https://fluffychat.im/en/

pjmlp 6y ago

The Electron competitor is called the Web platform. Just write your application in Django and start the local browser. Use Web APIs to trigger interactions with native APIs from Python code.

webmaven 6y ago
Okay, so I'm curious as to why you think desktop applications are ever built as Electron apps rather than just as a local web app server that opens the desktop browser? After all, that approach was pioneered by Dave Winer around 2000 or so, and never really caught on. On the other hand, Electron has exploded as a platform.
- pjmlp 6y ago
  Because of lazy devs stuck into worshiping Chrome. Using daemons implies actually knowing the underlying platforms and writing proper cross browser applications.
  - webmaven 6y ago
    Umm. You're basically implying that all desktop developers are lazy. There ought to be some desktop developers who see the advantages of your preferred solution, where are they, and where are their apps?
    - pjmlp 6y ago
      Those using Electron aren't desktop developers, so no I am to implying that all desktop developers are lazy. Thankfully Electron is just a tiny percentage of apps that with exception of VSCode and Slack I can abstain myself from ever touching, with plenty of native or proper Web alternatives that don't augment the hegemony of ChromeOS. As for examples with daemons using Web GUIs, ever heard of CUPS and SharePoint?
      - webmaven 6y ago
        > Those using Electron aren't desktop developers, I think you are getting into "No True Scotsman" territory here. > ever heard of CUPS and SharePoint? I haven't messed with either in quite a while, but are the use-cases for those UIs supposed to be from the same machine serving them (ie. a desktop app equivalent), rather than over the network?