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Wails: Build cross-platform applications using Go

wails.io

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Re: Wails: Build cross-platform applications using Go

#31

Post by iasay »

> It does not embed a browser, so it is resource efficient. Instead, it uses the native rendering engine for the platform. On Windows, this is the new Microsoft Webview2 library, built on Chromium.

How does this make it magically resource efficient? It's still another Chrome tab running some inevitable pile of inefficient excrement that burns watts. It's just not shipping it with the package. Disk and bandwidth is cheap compared to watts and latency which is the biggest problem with any web based technology.

I just want my native apps back (and no I don't want wx/Qt/Gtk!)

Re: Wails: Build cross-platform applications using Go

#32

Post by giantrobot »

solardev wrote: post #20
howeyc wrote: post #2

I don't get these projects. If you're going to write an html/js app, why not just launch the web browser against the local url of your app?

An embedded webview gives you more control over the browser chrome (as in UI), extensions, cookies, etc. It also gives you a shim into some filesystem/OS APIs that a regular sandboxed browser page wouldn't have. It gives you a predictable HTML/JS renderer that you control, instead of blindly hoping that your user will happen to have a compatible browser. Still, webview UIs are a lazy alternative to actual native apps…

> It also gives you a shim into some filesystem/OS APIs that a regular sandboxed browser page wouldn't have.

If you're just talking to a localhost server, it's got all the local access it needs. The web UI doesn't have to do anything besides control the native service running. I'd much rather be able to ship a tiny binary and use the local browser than pack around a whole browser just to access otherwise restricted/sandboxed APIs. You can just drop a URL shortcut on the desktop (or wherever) during installation.

Re: Wails: Build cross-platform applications using Go

#33

Post by doodlesdev »

iasay wrote: post #31

> It does not embed a browser, so it is resource efficient. Instead, it uses the native rendering engine for the platform. On Windows, this is the new Microsoft Webview2 library, built on Chromium. How does this make it magically resource efficient? It's still another Chrome tab running some inevitable pile of inefficient excrement that burns watts. It's just not shipping it with the package. Disk and bandwidth is ch…

If you're using Linux GNOME then GTK IS native, same thing for KDE and QT. wxWidgets uses native system components on all operating systems (and provides both GTK and QT backends for Linux). I agree that applications that are made for a single operating system are generally more appropriate because they feel better, but I don't feel it's realistic to expect from any company developing software simply because there's so many permutations of different systems to support. If you're developing for Windows for instance then "native" depends on the operating system version (win32 > uwp > winui3).

Also using the system webview (compared to loading a whole dedicated browser just for the application) in my experience is better when it comes to application bloat in the runtime, Tauri for instance achieves half of the memory usage that a Electron application needs and it's also possible to reduce CPU usage significantly by offloading any computations to the Rust backend.

I'm not saying I'm satisfied with the situation, just that I don't expect that anyone cares enough for truly native applications to become relevant again.

Re: Wails: Build cross-platform applications using Go

#35

Post by throwaway2016a »

blacklion wrote: post #29

We don't need more beautiful apps. We need usable and consistent apps. Typical beautiful app is barely-usable.

"beautiful" is an overused buzz word... has been for years. It rarely means anything.

I've seen "beautiful code", "beautiful API", "beautiful mobile apps", "beautiful note taking apps", etc and they usually aren't distinguishable from just normal stuff. 9/10 it's just some gradients and rounded corners thrown in somewhere.

Re: Wails: Build cross-platform applications using Go

#36

Post by mmgutz »

giantrobot wrote: post #32
solardev wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

An embedded webview gives you more control over the browser chrome (as in UI), extensions, cookies, etc. It also gives you a shim into some filesystem/OS APIs that a regular sandboxed browser page wouldn't have. It gives you a predictable HTML/JS renderer that you control, instead of blindly hoping that your user will happen to have a compatible browser. Still, webview UIs are a lazy alternative to actual native apps…

> It also gives you a shim into some filesystem/OS APIs that a regular sandboxed browser page wouldn't have. If you're just talking to a localhost server, it's got all the local access it needs. The web UI doesn't have to do anything besides control the native service running. I'd much rather be able to ship a tiny binary and use the local browser than pack around a whole browser just to access otherwise restricted/s…

Wails DOES NOT ship with a browser. It's not electron.

Re: Wails: Build cross-platform applications using Go

#37

Post by psydvl »

mmgutz wrote: post #36
giantrobot wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It also gives you a shim into some filesystem/OS APIs that a regular sandboxed browser page wouldn't have. If you're just talking to a localhost server, it's got all the local access it needs. The web UI doesn't have to do anything besides control the native service running. I'd much rather be able to ship a tiny binary and use the local browser than pack around a whole browser just to access otherwise restricted/s…

Wails DOES NOT ship with a browser. It's not electron.

It required webkit, almost same shit

Re: Wails: Build cross-platform applications using Go

#38

Post by lovelearning »

howeyc wrote: post #2

I don't get these projects. If you're going to write an html/js app, why not just launch the web browser against the local url of your app?

Some people don't like the user experience of doing everything in the default browser. It's subjective.

Re: Wails: Build cross-platform applications using Go

#39

Post by hsn915 »

Here we go again. Another landing page that tells me absolutely nothing.

"Build beautiful cross-platform applications using Go"

OK this works as the title of the page, but to have it as the only sentence on the page? What exactly are you thinking? How is this supposed to convey any information?

Come on!

The first link is "get started" which again does not tell me anything about this tool. It tells me I need to install Go (I already have it).

Just how many links do I have to click through to figure out what this thing is?

EDIT:

Ironically, the actual useful content is filed under the "Docs" link on the top bar, which is the last place I would expect.

https://wails.io/docs/introduction

"Wails is a project that enables you to write desktop apps using Go and web technologies.

Consider it a lightweight and fast Electron alternative for Go. You can easily build applications with the flexibility and power of Go, combined with a rich, modern frontend.

Wails doesn't hold back with the eye candy either! This is xbar - a desktop application for MacOS written using Wails. It has menus, supports light and dark desktop themes, and the main window uses translucency that gives it that 'frosty' effect of a native app."

Why can't this paragraph be on the landing page?

Re: Wails: Build cross-platform applications using Go

#40

Post by [deleted] »

hsn915 wrote: post #39

Here we go again. Another landing page that tells me absolutely nothing . "Build beautiful cross-platform applications using Go" OK this works as the title of the page, but to have it as the only sentence on the page? What exactly are you thinking? How is this supposed to convey any information? Come on! The first link is "get started" which again does not tell me anything about this tool. It tells me I need to insta…

[deleted]
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