Release of Electron 8.0.0, platform for building applications based on the Chromium engine

Prepared platform release electron 8.0.0, which provides a self-contained framework for developing multi-platform user applications based on Chromium, V8 and Node.js components. Significant version number change due to upgrade to codebase Chromium 80, platforms Node.js 12.13 and JavaScript engine V8 8.0.

Among changes in Electron-specific APIs:

• Provided by the ability to check spelling in input forms using the built-in spellchecker in Chrome;
• When communicating between processes (IPC) involved algorithm structured cloning (Structured Clone Algorithm) used in the V8 engine to copy complex JavaScript objects. Compared to the previously used data serialization mechanism, the new algorithm is more predictable, faster and more functional. When moving large buffers and complex objects, the new algorithm is about twice as fast with practically unchanged delays when transmitting small messages;
• Disabled Offscreen Rendering support, as there were issues during the transition to a new release of Chromium, and the subsystem was left without a maintainer;
• Added new APIs: app.getApplicationNameForProtocol(url), BrowserWindow.getMediaSourceId(), BrowserWindow.moveAbove(mediaSourceId), session.downloadURL(url), session.addWordToSpellCheckerDictionary, tray.removeBalloon(), tray.focus(), contents.executeJavaScriptInIsolatedWorld (worldId, scripts[, userGesture]).

Recall that Electron allows you to create any graphical applications using browser technologies, the logic of which is defined in JavaScript, HTML and CSS, and the functionality can be extended through the system of add-ons. Developers have access to Node.js modules, as well as an extended API for creating native dialogs, integrating applications, creating context menus, integrating with the notification display system, manipulating windows, and interacting with Chromium subsystems.

Unlike web applications, Electron-based programs are delivered as self-contained executables that are not tied to a browser. At the same time, the developer does not need to worry about porting the application for various platforms, Electron will provide the ability to build for all systems supported in Chromium. Electron also provides facilities to organize automatic delivery and installation of updates (updates can be delivered both from a separate server and directly from GitHub).

Of the programs built on the basis of the Electron platform, one can note the editor Atom, mail client nylas, a toolkit for working with Git GitKraken, a system for analyzing and visualizing SQL queries Car, WordPress Desktop blogging system, BitTorrent client WebTorrent Desktop, as well as official clients for services such as Skype, Signal, Slack, Basecamp, Twitch, Ghost, Wire, Wrike, Visual Studio Code and Discord. Total in the catalog of programs Electron is presented about 850 applications. To simplify the development of new applications, a set of standard demo applications, which includes code examples for solving various problems.

Source: opennet.ru