nativefier/README.md

# Nativefier
[![Build Status](https://travis-ci.org/jiahaog/nativefier.svg?branch=development)](https://travis-ci.org/jiahaog/nativefier)
[![npm version](https://badge.fury.io/js/nativefier.svg)](https://www.npmjs.com/package/nativefier)
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![Dock Screenshot](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jiahaog/nativefier/master/screenshots/Dock%20Screenshot.png)

You want to make a native wrapper for Google Maps (or any web page).

```bash
$ nativefier maps.google.com
```

You're done.

## Introduction

Nativefier is a command line tool that allows you to easily create a desktop application for any web site with succinct and minimal configuration. Apps are wrapped by [Electron](http://electron.atom.io) in an OS executable (`.app`, `.exe`, etc.) for use on Windows, OSX and Linux.

I did this because I was tired of having to `⌘-tab` or `alt-tab` to my browser and then search through the numerous open tabs when I was using [Facebook Messenger](http://messenger.com) or [Whatsapp Web](http://web.whatsapp.com).

View the changelog [here](https://github.com/jiahaog/nativefier/blob/master/History.md).

[Relevant Hacker News Thread](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10930718)

### Features

- Automatically retrieves the correct icon and app name
- Flash Support

## Installation

With [Node.js](https://nodejs.org/) installed,

```bash
# for use from the command line
$ npm install nativefier -g
```
### Optional Dependencies

#### `.png` to `.icns` Conversion

To support usage of a `.png` for a packaged OSX app icon (currently only supported on OSX), you need the following dependencies.

##### [sips](https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/Darwin/Reference/ManPages/man1/sips.1.html)
Automatically ships with OSX

##### [iconutil](https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/GraphicsAnimation/Conceptual/HighResolutionOSX/Optimizing/Optimizing.html)

You need [XCode](https://developer.apple.com/xcode/) installed.

##### [imagemagick](http://www.imagemagick.org/script/index.php)

```bash
$ brew install imagemagick
```

##### [Google Chrome](https://www.google.com/chrome/)

Google Chrome is required for flash to be supported. Alternatively, you could download the PepperFlash Chrome plugin and specify the path to it directly with the `--flash` flag. See the command line options below for more details.

## Usage

Creating a native desktop app for [medium.com](http://medium.com):

```bash
$ nativefier "http://medium.com"
```

Nativefier will intelligently attempt to determine the app name, your OS and processor architecture, among other options. If desired, the app name or other options can be overwritten by specifying the `--name "Medium"` as part of the command line options, as such.

```
$ nativefier --name "Some Awesome App" "http://medium.com"
```

**For Windows Users:** Take note that the application menu is automatically hidden by default, you can press `alt` on your keyboard to access it.

**For Linux Users:** Do not put spaces if you define the app name yourself with `--name`, as this will cause problems (tested on Ubuntu 14.04) when pinning a packaged app to the launcher.

## Command Line Options

```bash
$ nativefier [options] <targetUrl> [dest]
```
Command line options are listed below.

#### Target Url

The url to point the application at.

#### [dest]

Specifies the destination directory to build the app to, defaults to the current working directory.

#### Help

```
-h, --help
```

Prints the usage information.

#### Version

```
-V, --version
```

Prints the version of your `nativefier` install.

#### [name]

```
-n, --name <value>
```

The name of the application, which will affect strings in titles and the icon.

**For Linux Users:** Do not put spaces if you define the app name yourself with `--name`, as this will cause problems (tested on Ubuntu 14.04) when pinning a packaged app to the launcher.

#### [platform]

```
-p, --platform <value>
```
Automatically determined based on the current OS. Can be overwritten by specifying either `linux`, `win32`, or `darwin`.

#### [arch]

```
-a, --arch <value>
```

Processor architecture, automatically determined based on the current OS. Can be overwritten by specifying either `ia32` or `x64`.

#### [electron-version]

```
-e, --electron-version <value>
```

Electron version without the `v`, see https://github.com/atom/electron/releases.

#### [overwrite]

```
-o, --overwrite
```

Specifies if the destination directory should be overwritten.

#### [conceal]

```
-c, --conceal
```

Specifies if the source code within the nativefied app should be packaged into an archive, defaults to false, [read more](http://electron.atom.io/docs/v0.36.0/tutorial/application-packaging/).

#### [icon]

```
-i, --icon <path>
```

##### Packaging for Windows and Linux

The icon parameter should be a path to a `.png` file.

##### Packaging for OSX

The icon parameter can either be a `.icns` or a `.png` file if the optional dependencies listed [above](#optional-dependencies) are installed.

With the `sips`, `iconutil` and `imagemagick convert` optional dependencies in your `PATH`, Nativefier will automatically convert the `.png` to a `.icns` for you.

###### Manually Converting `.icns`

[iConvertIcons](https://iconverticons.com/online/) can be used to convert `.pngs`, though it can be quite cumbersome.

To retrieve the `.icns` file from the downloaded file, extract it first and press File > Get Info. Then select the icon in the top left corner of the info window and press `⌘-C`. Open Preview and press File > New from clipboard and save the `.icns` file. It took me a while to figure out how to do that and question why a `.icns` file was not simply provided in the downloaded archive.

#### [counter]

```
--counter
```

Use a counter that persists even with window focus for the application badge for sites that use an "(X)" format counter in the page title (i.e. Gmail).  Same limitations as the badge option (above).

#### [width]

```
--width <value>
```

Width of the packaged application, defaults to `1280px`.

#### [height]

```
--height <value>
```

Height of the packaged application, defaults to `800px`.

#### [show-menu-bar]

```
-m, --show-menu-bar
```

Specifies if the menu bar should be shown.

#### [user-agent]

```
-u, --user-agent <value>
```

Set the user agent to run the created app with.

#### [honest]

```
--honest
```
By default, nativefier uses a preset user agent string for your OS and masquerades as a regular Google Chrome browser, so that sites like WhatsApp Web will not say that the current browser is unsupported.

If this flag is passed, it will not override the user agent.

#### [insecure]

```
--insecure
```
Forces the packaged app to ignore certificate errors.

#### [disable-web-security]

```
--disable-web-security
```
Forces the packaged app to ignore web security errors.

#### [flash]

```
--flash <value>
```

By default, nativefier will automatically try to determine the location of your Google Chrome flash binary. In the event that Flash does not appear to work, you can specify it directly with this command line flag, by retrieving the location of the Flash path from [chrome://plugins](chrome://plugins), under `Adobe Flash Player` > `Location`.

From my experience, it might be helpful to pass the `--disable-web-security` flag if you are using nativefied flash apps, as some `https` websites tend to serve flash insecurely. 

## Programmatic API

You can use the Nativefier programmatic API as well.

```bash
$ npm install --save nativefier
```

In your `.js` file:

```javascript
var nativefier = require('nativefier').default;

// possible options
var options = {
    name: 'Web WhatsApp',
    targetUrl: 'http://web.whatsapp.com', // required
    platform: 'darwin',
    arch: 'x64',
    version: '0.36.4',
    out: '~/Desktop',
    overwrite: true,
    asar: false, // see conceal
    icon: '~/Desktop/icon.png',
    counter: false,
    width: 1280,
    height: 800,
    showMenuBar: false,
    userAgent: null,
    insecure: false,
    disableWebSecurity: false,
    honest: false
};

nativefier(options, function(error, appPath) {
    if (error) {
        console.error(error);
        return;
    }
    console.log('App has been nativefied to', appPath);
});
```

More description about the `options` for `nativefier` can be found at the section on [command line flags](#command-line-options).

## How It Works

A template app with the appropriate event listeners and callbacks set up is included in the `./app` folder. When the `nativefier` command is executed, this folder is copied to a temporary directory with the appropriate parameters in a configuration file, and is packaged into an app with [Electron Packager](https://github.com/maxogden/electron-packager).

Automatic retrieval of icons is possible thanks to [besticon](https://github.com/mat/besticon).

## Development

Setting up the project

```bash
$ git clone https://github.com/jiahaog/nativefier.git
$ cd nativefier

# Set up dependencies for the cli tool and the placeholder app
$ npm run dev-up

# Set up symlinks so that you can run `$ nativefier` for your local changes
$ npm link
```

After doing so, you can then run nativefier with your test parameters

```bash
$ nativefier <...>
```

Don't forget to compile source files (after making changes):

```bash
$ npm run build
```

Or you can automatically watch the files for changes with:

```bash
$ npm run watch
```

## Notes

Tested mostly on OSX, but should work for Windows and Linux.