Electron
Electron is an open-source framework for building cross-platform desktop applications using web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It combines the Chromium rendering engine and the Node.js runtime, allowing developers to create native-feeling apps that run on Windows, macOS, and Linux from a single codebase. This enables web developers to leverage their existing skills to build desktop software without learning platform-specific languages.
Developers should learn Electron when they need to create desktop applications that must run on multiple operating systems, especially if they already have expertise in web development. It's ideal for building tools like code editors (e.g., Visual Studio Code), communication apps (e.g., Slack), or media players where a rich, web-like UI is beneficial. Use it to quickly prototype or deploy desktop versions of web apps, though performance considerations apply for resource-intensive tasks.