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 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 learn Electron when they need to create desktop applications that run on multiple operating systems while using familiar web development tools and workflows. It's particularly useful for building productivity tools, development environments, communication apps, and utilities that benefit from native system integration like file system access, notifications, and menu bars. Electron is ideal for teams with web expertise who want to avoid maintaining separate codebases for different desktop platforms.