Electron's architecture can be divided into three layers: Chromium, Node.js, and the application layer.
Electron is an open source framework based on Chromium and Node.js that can be used to quickly build cross-platform desktop applications.
- Chromium layer : Chromium is an open source browser engine capable of rendering web technology stacks such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. In Electron, Chromium is responsible for drawing the application's main window and all web view content, and provides functions such as low-level UI controls, JavaScript engine, and network communication.
- Node.js layer : Node.js is a JavaScript runtime environment based on the V8 engine, which has the ability to access system files, network resources and operating system and other underlying functions. In Electron, Node.js provides the underlying API interface, which can implement functions such as file reading and writing, process management, and network communication by calling Node.js modules.
- Application layer : The application layer is an application framework based on Chromium and Node.js, which is used to develop interface design and business logic of desktop applications. In the application layer, developers use the web technology stack and the API interface provided by Electron to implement various functions of the application, such as window management, menu design, dialog boxes, trays, etc.
Different from traditional desktop applications, Electron applications use HTML, CSS and JavaScript technology stacks to implement interface design and business logic, and have good cross-platform performance and scalability.
- Cross-platform : Electron can run on multiple platforms such as Windows, Mac and Linux. It achieves cross-platform consistency and portability by using the web technology stack to implement interface design and business logic. At the same time, since Electron uses Chromium and Node.js at the bottom, it can also easily use various third-party libraries and plug-ins.
- Flexibility : Electron provides many customization options and API interfaces to meet various customization needs. For example, interface elements such as menus, dialog boxes, and icons can be customized, and low-level functions such as system files and network resources can be accessed.
- Ecosystem support : Electron has a huge community and ecosystem on GitHub, providing many open source projects and plug-ins, which can quickly develop high-quality desktop applications. At the same time, Electron has also been supported by many well-known companies and developers, such as Slack, GitHub Desktop, VS Code, etc.
- Performance issues : Since Electron applications need to run Chromium and Node.js at the same time, there may be some issues in terms of startup speed, memory usage, and performance optimization. However, with reasonable code design and optimization, these problems can be well solved.
Electron's architecture adopts the combination of Chromium and Node.js, perfectly combines the web technology stack and the underlying system functions, and provides a flexible and scalable desktop application development method. This architecture not only has cross-platform performance, but also can use the underlying functions and third-party modules provided by Node.js to achieve more system-level functions and customization requirements
In short, Electron is a flexible, extensible, cross-platform desktop application development framework with a good ecosystem and community support. For front-end developers, it provides a brand-new development method and programming idea, and provides more convenience and choices for building high-quality desktop applications.