Can you import an existing Electron app into Wappler?

Wappler General
#1

Hi all,

I just recently learned about Wappler and I’m very curious to learn more about it, but what has me the most interested at the moment is the ability to create desktop apps using Electron.

If I have a previously created Electron app. Can I import that into Wappler for further editing or do I have to start from scratch?

Thanks in advance,
Keith

#2

Hi Keith,

Welcome to Wappler! I’m sure you will appreciate greatly its visual editing, building tools and productivity. Just like all the users here. So let the journey begin!

Yes - you can fully use previous Electron apps in Wappler. Here are the steps:

  1. Just create a new blank desktop project
  2. Add Electron as platform
  3. Replace the cordova settings files and files in the www folder with your own

Wappler has integrated Cordova building so you should be able to fully automatically build and also use the Cordova commands in the integrated terminal

Also the Wappler Visual Editor supports Framework7 and Bootstrap 4 as design frameworks so you can do all your design visually. There is also a full blown code editor available, next to the design view

Do you use any other frameworks in your Electron app?

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#3

Hi @George, thanks for responding. The current app I’m wanting to import uses React.

#4

Hello @kfawcett
Not sure what’s the idea of importing an electron project based on react in Wappler?
Wappler does not support react, instead it includes a front-end framework called “App Connect”

#5

Hi @Teodor, I’m new here so I do not know everything about Wappler yet. There are a lot of open source Electron projects that would be awesome if we could import them from the github repositories and build upon.

In regards to @George’s quesiton I answered that this one in paticular seems to use React. I now understand that Wappler does not support React, but it would be nice if it could and would allow me to import this, or other, existing electron apps into Wappler and build on top of.

#6

Well you can import a React app in Wappler but as we don’t support visual editing of React, you will have to just use the Wappler code editor to edit it.

Also there are usually specific build instructions per app, so you should follow those.

You can use the Wappler built-in terminal to execute them.

In general it is advisable to stick to the supported frameworks in Wappler.

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