Think about offering an offline version and/or multi-platform desktop apps?

[Naereen]

Hello there,

Using Electron and recent technologies, it shouldn't be too hard to bundle this web app as a desktop app!
It could be multi-platform, as it's easy to use electron-packager or electron.build to produce zip files for different platforms.
(There is no need to be on such platforms, see for instance this project where I published apps for all platforms, built on Ubuntu.)

I see that the README already documents how to use Electron to launch the app offline, but it requires to git clone/download the source, have a recent Electron, and run it.

The advantage of using electron.build is that it's then possible to just download it (from GitHub "release" page), install it as a local desktop app, which can be used without Internet.

What do you think?
I could try to play again with electron.build, if you think this is interesting.

Thanks in advance! -- @Naereen

[Naereen]

Another solution I just discovered is webcatalog.app, and apparently I can set-up a custom app using https://tableaunoir.github.io/

I'll add screenshots or a GIF showing this, just for demonstration.

[Naereen]

[Naereen]

[Naereen]

WebCatalog seems to be open-source, multi-platform, free (despite having a paying option), and offer plenty of other apps, and basically any static website can run offline!

[francoisschwarzentruber]

Thank you! Yes, indeed the offline electron version is not easy to install (git clone + launch a command). It would be nice to do that. Oh :( The sharing does not work... I guess it is because of https...

PS: The sharing should work with https but I spent a whole afternoon just trying to configure the server for https without success, fighting with certificate files. :(

[Naereen]

I recently learned how to write an app manifest JSON file and use ServiceWorkers to allow a web-app to work offline (at the first visit, the ServiceWorkers - just a javascript file - will download all the requested files and keep them in a cache - separated from your basic browser cache, called "Application cache" - so the app still works if you visit it offline later).

I want to try doing both of these for tableaunoir... when I'll have time!

[Naereen]

I forgot to add this link here: https://webcatalog.app/apps/tableaunoir/

[francoisschwarzentruber]

Thank you @Naereen. I also think that the offline version should look like a desktop application. In particular, Tableaunoir should remember the current file when saving a board, i.e. implementing "save" and "save as..." like in traditionnal desktop application, whereas you only have "download the current board" in the webapp.