Electron.NET/README.md

[![Electron.NET Logo](https://github.com/ElectronNET/Electron.NET/blob/master/assets/images/electron.net-logo.png)](https://github.com/ElectronNET/Electron.NET)


AppVeyor (Win/Linux): [![Build status](https://ci.appveyor.com/api/projects/status/q95h4xt14papwi05/branch/master?svg=true)](https://ci.appveyor.com/project/robertmuehsig/electron-net/branch/master)

Travis-CI (Win/OSX/Linux): [![Build Status](https://travis-ci.org/ElectronNET/Electron.NET.svg?branch=master)](https://travis-ci.org/ElectronNET/Electron.NET)

Build cross platform desktop apps with .NET Core 2.0 and ASP.NET NET Core.

# Usage:

To activate and communicate with the "native" (sort of native...) Electron API include the [ElectronNET.API NuGet package](https://www.nuget.org/packages/ElectronNET.API/) in your ASP.NET Core app.

````
PM> Install-Package ElectronNET.API
````
## Program.cs

You start Electron.NET up with an `UseElectron` WebHostBuilder-Extension. 

```csharp
public static IWebHost BuildWebHost(string[] args)
{
    return WebHost.CreateDefaultBuilder(args)
        .UseElectron(args)
        .UseStartup<Startup>()
        .Build();
}
```

## Startup.cs

Open the Electron Window in the Startup.cs file: 

```csharp
public async void Configure(IApplicationBuilder app, IHostingEnvironment env)
{
    if (env.IsDevelopment())
    {
        app.UseDeveloperExceptionPage();
        app.UseBrowserLink();
    }
    else
    {
        app.UseExceptionHandler("/Home/Error");
    }

    app.UseStaticFiles();

    app.UseMvc(routes =>
    {
        routes.MapRoute(
            name: "default",
            template: "{controller=Home}/{action=Index}/{id?}");
    });

    // Open the Electron-Window here
    await Electron.WindowManager.CreateWindowAsync();
}
```

## Start the Application

For the tooling you will need your dotnet-electronize package [ElectronNET.CLI NuGet package](https://www.nuget.org/packages/ElectronNET.CLI/). This package __must__ be referenced in the .csproj like this:

```
    <ItemGroup>
       <DotNetCliToolReference Include="ElectronNET.CLI" Version="*" />
    </ItemGroup>
```
After you edited the .csproj-file, you need to restore your NuGet packages within your Project. Run the follwoing command in your ASP.NET Core folder:

```
dotnet restore
```

* Make sure you have node.js v8.6.0 and on OSX/Ubuntu the electron-packager installed (via "sudo npm install electron-packager --global")

At the first time, you need an Electron.NET Project initialization. Type the following command in your ASP.NET Core folder:

```
    dotnet electronize init
```

* Now a electronnet.manifest.json should appear in your ASP.NET Core project
* Now run the following:

```
    dotnet electronize start
```
### Note
> Only the first electronize start is slow. The next will go on faster.

## Debug

Start your Electron.NET application with the Electron.NET CLI command. In Visual Studio attach to your running application instance. Go in the __Debug__ Menu and click on __Attach to Process...__. Sort by your projectname on the right and select it on the list.

## Usage of the Electron-API

A complete documentation will follow. Until then take a look in the source code of the sample application: [ElectronNET.WebApp](https://github.com/GregorBiswanger/Electron.NET/tree/master/ElectronNET.WebApp)

## Build

Here you need the Electron.NET CLI too. Type following command in your ASP.NET Core folder:

```
    dotnet electronize build
```

In your default setting we just build the application for the OS you are running (Windows builds Windows, OSX builds OSX etc.), but this can be changed with:

```
    dotnet electronize build win
    dotnet electronize build osx
    dotnet electronize build linux
```

The end result should be an electron app under your __/bin/desktop__ folder.

### Note
> An OS X App can only be built on a host OS X platform.

# Contributing
Feel free to submit a pull request if you find any bugs (to see a list of active issues, visit the [Issues section](https://github.com/ElectronNET/Electron.NET/issues).
Please make sure all commits are properly documented.

# Authors

* **Gregor Biswanger** - (Microsoft MVP, Intel Black Belt and Intel Software Innovator) is a freelance lecturer, consultant, trainer, author and speaker. He is a consultant for large and medium-sized companies, organizations and agencies for software architecture, web- and cross-platform development. You can find Gregor often on the road attending or speaking at international conferences. - [Cross-Platform-Blog](http://www.cross-platform-blog.com) - Twitter [@BFreakout](https://www.twitter.com/BFreakout)  
* **Robert Muehsig** - Software Developer - from Dresden, Germany, now living & working in Switzerland. Microsoft MVP & Web Geek. - [codeinside Blog](https://blog.codeinside.eu) - Twitter [@robert0muehsig](https://twitter.com/robert0muehsig)  
  
See also the list of [contributors](https://github.com/ElectronNET/Electron.NET/graphs/contributors) who participated in this project.
  
# License
MIT-licensed

**Enjoy!**