Comment by rhspeer | Hacker News Reader

Comment by rhspeer | Hacker News Reader

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I just wrapped up a project not using this full workflow, but using node-webkit + grunt-node-webkit-builder.

To answer a few questions posed here: 1) It worked great for me, but we were doing a very simple presentation type app

2) grunt-node-webkit-builder is pretty great, saves ~15 minutes for each build, grunt takes a little bit to get going, but is easier than most php / ruby tools I've used

3) You don't have to use Angular, Jade, or Coffescript

4) While I did not take advantage of using a database, I suspect someone else has and it's not a big deal.

Also for anyone interested the same code we ran through node-webkit, worked well with build.phonegap.com, which means it would also work with Cordova (http://cordova.apache.org/) adding mobile device support into the build process would be very impressive, as would a node-webkit GUI build tool.

If I had all the time & attention span in the world, combining a node desktop+mobile build tool with an IDE like light table into a complete package that had a simple installer & GIT integration would be pretty great, and mostly assembling parts instead of re inventing the wheel.

However, I have bills to pay so I need to get back to figuring out how a big corporations's imaginary friends will make purchasing decisions ;)

Second that. Our app [1] is a web builder that lets you edit multiple pages at the same time and use Less to create your design - both through GUI and code editor.

Node-webkit works great. Our build process is simple: minimizing js files and copying files into a release folder. Grunt node-webkit takes care of creating binaries for Mac and Win. Making changes in development is easy. You basically just refresh the page in node-webkit and new version is loaded.

We use the same code base in the desktop app and online [2]. The only difference is that desktop app has additional code for working with local files and native windows.

At first I was doing it with Chrome packaged apps. But the security model there is more complex and working with local files and supporting the ability to open & edit pages from the internet required jumping through many loopholes and passing messages around between frames with different security privileges.

With node-webkit everything simply just worked from the start.

[1] http://pinegrow.com [2] http://pinegrow.com/edit.html?page=index.html

Very interesting! Could you drop a line on the github repo how to use the phonegap build process with an app build for node-webkit? this would be awesome! I'll not have the time to make your described wonder happen, but at least truly crosscompiling apps for desktop & mobile is a thing I'd like to see happen.

the easiest way is to use build.phonegap.com and connect it to your github.com repo, as well as your src directory in the grunt build tool.

Cordova is the open source project uses the same code magic that phonegap does, and can be installed on your local machine. I have not mixed it into the grunt built tool yet, but I think the hardest part is installing cordova & ready the documentation

no idea why I said pretty great multiple times, after reading several posts on american stereotypes, I think I just need to drive my truck to a restaurant and tip largely to complete my day.

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