Adding Node Modules during the setup of an ElectronJS application

Hey there! I'm currently working on an ElectronJS application designed for developers. One of the key features is checking for the presence of NodeJS on the user's computer. If it's not detected, the app will automatically download and install the latest version of NodeJS before proceeding with its own installation.

In addition to this, I'm looking to incorporate a feature that checks, downloads, and installs specific node_modules globally during the electron app installation process. This step is important to ensure that users have all necessary tools readily available without having to install them separately.

Any suggestions on how I can make this happen smoothly?

It would be really great if we can make sure that this entire process works seamlessly across all major platforms including Windows, Linux, and MAC operating systems.

javascriptnpmelectrondesktop-applicationnode-modules

Answer №1

There are numerous approaches to accomplish your goal.

Firstly, you have the option to spawn a child process from Node that executes the npm command to install the necessary packages.

Another method involves utilizing npm programmatically. Here's an example:

var npm = require('npm');

npm.load({ 'global': true }, function (err) {
    if (err) console.log(err);

    npm.commands.install(['hello-world'], function (err, data) {
        if (err) return console.error(err)
    });
});

Although not highly recommended due to lack of official support for the programmatic API.

Lastly, there are packages available that handle npm programmatically on behalf of users, such as npm-programmatic. This tool also spawns a child process in the background but offers a more user-friendly interface for developers.

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