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Electron apps cannot be submitted to the Apple store

david.dev

11–20 of 441 posts

Re: Electron apps cannot be submitted to the Apple store

#11
> I did write back to Apple trying to explain that I am using Electron and I can't really change any of these public-framework usage

Yeah. So? By linking a framework that's using private APIs, this becomes your problem now. And Electron's problem, by extension. Go bug them, not Apple.

Re: Electron apps cannot be submitted to the Apple store

#12
post #3

Well, why the hell is electron/chromium using private APIs? That seems like the real problem here...

Its looks as if the Electron team had the assumption that developers would be unlikely to distribute their Electron Mac apps via the App Store, but instead as a DMG or zip which doesn't require Apple reviewing private APIs.

Re: Electron apps cannot be submitted to the Apple store

#15

> I did write back to Apple trying to explain that I am using Electron and I can't really change any of these public-framework usage Yeah. So? By linking a framework that's using private APIs, this becomes your problem now. And Electron's problem, by extension. Go bug them, not Apple.

Exactly. An application developer chooses his dependencies and has to take responsibility for them. Even if the app store is going to let you pass the buck, it's going to make your customers unhappy.

Re: Electron apps cannot be submitted to the Apple store

#17

Wonder why they couldn't do the same for the iOS appstore. Like js apps based in phonegap

Phonegap uses the the browser engine of the platform, therefore it's platform dependant.

Electron always uses Chrome whether it is on MacOS or Windows. There was a node-webkit project before Electron, I don't know its status.

Re: Electron apps cannot be submitted to the Apple store

#18
As a user I am glad. As is custom for all Electron discussions, someone must point out its flaws. Why the dislike, you ask? A picture is worth a thousand 64-bit words:

https://imgur.com/a/XnCOHUD

And mind you, GitHub Desktop is taking that much just for showing a mostly empty window! while Fork and Tower are displaying a lot more UI, more controls, trees, custom drawing, more text, and have overall more features (best of all: spell checking for commit messages because all native text fields get it for free.) You can try it on your own machine and compare them.

Now yes Electron has made life very easy for some developers and some apps wouldn't even exist if not for Electron, but why, as a user, should I pick an Electron app over native alternatives?

Re: Electron apps cannot be submitted to the Apple store

#19
post #8

The lesson here is write native apps using the preferred native tools of the platform, and avoid shortcut solutions.

> and avoid shortcut solutions and then the app is never written

This is true for many apps, especially for non-profit apps.

Re: Electron apps cannot be submitted to the Apple store

#20
post #8

The lesson here is write native apps using the preferred native tools of the platform, and avoid shortcut solutions.

Yeah, when you're coding for a cpu, write in assembly only. Write a separate copy of your app for iphone and macOS because one of those is arm and one isn't.

Don't use anything that provides portability like C or Objective-C, that's not really "native" to the CPU architecture.

.. I know that sounds silly, but you're advocating for that one layer up. It's a very good analogy I think.

People use electron in order to "compile to" native apps for linux and windows and mac without having to write the app 3 times.

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