Tauri is an open-source framework that allows developers to build cross-platform desktop applications using web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Tauri is designed to be lightweight and fast, while also providing easy access to native operating system functionality.
In this article, we’ll explore what Tauri is, its key features, and provide some examples of how to use Tauri to build cross-platform desktop applications.
What is Tauri?
Tauri is a desktop application development framework that allows developers to build native desktop applications using web technologies. It provides an API for accessing native operating system features, such as system notifications, file system access, and more. Tauri also includes a built-in Rust library for creating native application windows, which allows it to provide a fast and responsive user interface.
One of the key benefits of using Tauri is its ability to produce small, lightweight binaries that can be easily distributed across multiple platforms. Tauri also allows developers to use a variety of front-end frameworks, including React, Angular, and Vue, to build their user interfaces.
Key Features of Tauri
Here are some of the key features of Tauri:
- Native operating system access: Tauri provides a simple API for accessing native operating system features, such as system notifications, file system access, and more.
- Fast and responsive: Tauri’s built-in Rust library for creating native application windows allows it to provide a fast and responsive user interface.
- Cross-platform: Tauri produces small, lightweight binaries that can be easily distributed across multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, and Linux.
- Flexible front-end: Tauri allows developers to use a variety of front-end frameworks, including React, Angular, and Vue, to build their user interfaces.
- Easy to use: Tauri is designed to be easy to use, with a simple and intuitive API that makes it easy to get started.
Examples of Tauri Applications
Here are some examples of applications that have been built using Tauri:
- RSudoku: RSudoku is a Sudoku puzzle game built using Tauri. It provides a fast and responsive user interface, with native operating system integration for things like system notifications.
- Pomodorust: Pomodorust is a productivity timer application built using Tauri. It provides a simple and intuitive user interface, with native operating system integration for things like system notifications and the ability to run in the background.
- Nom: Nom is a Markdown editor built using Tauri. It provides a simple and intuitive user interface, with native operating system integration for things like file system access and the ability to open and save files.
How to Use Tauri.app
To get started with Tauri, you’ll need to have Rust installed on your system. Once Rust is installed, you can use the Cargo package manager to create a new Tauri project:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 | cargo install tauri-bundler cargo install tauri-cli tauri create my-app cd my-app tauri dev |
This will create a new Tauri project and start the development server. You can then edit your project files and see the changes reflected in real-time.
To build your Tauri app for distribution, you can use the tauri build command:
1 2 3 | tauri build |
This will create a distributable binary for your app, which you can then distribute to users on various platforms.
Example Tauri Code
Here’s an example of how to use Tauri to create a simple desktop application that displays a message:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 | use tauri::Manager; fn main() { let mut app = tauri::Builder::default() .invoke_handler(tauri::generate_handler![display_message]) .build(tauri::generate_context!()); app.run(|_app_handle, _webview_handle| { Ok(()) }).expect("error while running tauri application"); } #[tauri::command] fn display_message() { println!("Hello from Tauri!"); } |
This code creates a new Tauri application and sets up a command called display_message, which simply prints a message to the console when called. You can use this code as a starting point for building your own Tauri applications.
Conclusion
Tauri is a powerful framework that allows developers to build cross-platform desktop applications using web technologies. Its key features, including native operating system access, fast and responsive user interface, and flexible front-end, make it a popular choice for building desktop applications.
If you’re interested in building your own desktop application using Tauri, there are plenty of resources available to help you get started, including documentation, examples, and a supportive community.
