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 Node.js runtime, allowing developers to create native-like applications for 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 use Electron when they need to build desktop applications that run on multiple operating systems with a consistent user interface, especially if they already have expertise in web development. It's ideal for applications like code editors (e.g., Visual Studio Code), communication tools (e.g., Slack), and media players where rapid development and cross-platform compatibility are priorities. However, it may not be suitable for performance-critical or resource-intensive applications due to higher memory usage compared to native frameworks.