
Run Chrome apps in Electron - simonpure
https://github.com/koush/electron-chrome
======
saurik
Why would someone use this when NW.js (formerly node-webkit) has essentially
complete and native-from-using-Chromium (instead of libchromiumcontent)
non-"polyfill" support for Chrome apps, and they consider it a supported
platform feature as opposed to some third-party tack on (which isn't even
trying to be fully compatible; as, in the README, this developer says he is
refusing to implement chrome.socket to spec simply because he feels the API is
"kinda crap")?

~~~
Dinius
Not to disregard that NW.js might be a better choice in this case due to the
API support. But generally speaking, Electron: \- Is more tested in
_production_ (VS Code, Atom, [1]) \- Has a larger and more active community \-
Has (at least in the past) started using newer versions of Node and Chrome
long before NW.js (Especially with Node when v4 came out this was a relevant
drawback) \- Tested both the newest versions on Windows 10 right now, Electron
used ~50mb less RAM, and less CPU. (Of course this isn't a very relevant test,
more of an observation, these numbers could vary greatly between systems and
platforms).

On the flip side, some reasons to use NW.js: \- "Source code protection",
which gives a ~30% performance reduction. Electron devs has chosen not to
implement this due to that drawback. \- Better support for transparent
windows, at least in the past. (At the expense of disabling hardware
acceleration).

Note that some of this information might be a few months out of date, mostly
in regards to NW.js.

[1]: [http://electron.atom.io/#apps](http://electron.atom.io/#apps)

~~~
polpo
To address the "started using newer versions of Node and Chrome" point, since
NW.js v0.13, on the day a new version of Chrome hits the stable channel, a new
version of NW.js is released matching the Chrome version. At the time of those
releases, NW.js ships the current stable version of Node. So as of late, NW.js
has been ahead of Electron in being more up to date with Chrome and Node.
There is also a corresponding beta version of NW.js that tracks the Chrome
beta channel.

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paulddraper
For background, Google is deprecating Chrome apps (desktop apps made with web
tech) for non-Chrome OS platforms.

Chrome Web Store listings will be gone in a year; they'll stop working another
six months after that.

[http://blog.chromium.org/2016/08/from-chrome-apps-to-
web.htm...](http://blog.chromium.org/2016/08/from-chrome-apps-to-web.html)

~~~
learningman
Wow. Google deprecating Chrome apps will hurt the Chromebook ecosystem, who
will develop apps that can only be run on a Chromebook? What's up their sleeve
here? Expanding the Play store to desktops?

~~~
Omni5cience
I think the reasoning is less nefarious, Chrome apps never got that much love
on other platforms, and I'm guessing they want to move towards Progressive Web
Apps.

~~~
benologist
It's all about the Play Store. The apps being EOL'd only ever ran on desktops,
and Chrome OS is sort of becoming Android for tablets/computers.

Chrome OS is actually not losing access to these apps for ~a year during which
time the Play Store will continue rolling out alongside it.

What will be really interesting is when they roll out the Play Store for the
rest of Chrome...

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polpo
A much better option than this is to just use NW.js [1], which supports all of
the chrome.* APIs natively, without polyfills [2].

[1] [http://nwjs.io](http://nwjs.io)

[2] [http://nwjs.io/blog/chrome-apps-support/](http://nwjs.io/blog/chrome-
apps-support/)

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therealmarv
I dislike running a whole browser beside my Chrome browser. I think Chrome
should be like the webview in Android 7.0 Nougat, an
component/interface/platform you can use also for external programs but only
completely external managed UI wise (no internal UI like for Chrome Apps).

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erelde
I have some custom shortcuts going like those:

    
    
      chromium --app="https://www.worldwideweb.org"
    

Will they also remove that flag?

~~~
kevincox
I don't thinks so. I believe that that is a different use of the word "app".
That flag means "open this website and make it look like a native app", the
"Chrome Apps" are extensions that use a different set of APIs.

Disclaimer: I work at Google but don't have any insider knowledge of this.

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asimuvPR
I wonder if one could get ARC Welder apps to run with this. Ideas?

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lindstorm
Waiting for the USB API to be implemented

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ghostintheshell
woaw excellent

