electron-template

electron-template is a boilerplate starter project that combines Nuxt.js with Electron, scaffolded through vue-cli, so developers can build cross-platform desktop applications using Vue-based Nuxt pages and Electron's desktop shell. The repository is archived, having been built for Nuxt 2, which reached end of life on June 30, 2024.

What is electron-template?

electron-template is a vue-cli starter project that merges Nuxt.js and Electron into a single scaffold, producing a desktop app project structure from a vue init command. It is created and maintained by the nuxt-community organization, distributed via GitHub, and run locally with Node and npm/yarn on the developer's machine. The original clonable (non-vue-cli) version exists on a separate git-clone branch. The repository is archived and the template targets Nuxt 2.

Key Features

• vue-cli scaffolding — initialized with vue init nuxt-community/electron-template my-project, generating a ready-to-run project folder.
• Nuxt.js + Electron stack — pairs Nuxt.js for the app's Vue pages with Electron as the desktop runtime.
• Dev script with Vue Devtools — npm run dev starts development with the Vue devtools enabled.
• electron-builder packaging — npm run build builds a production release using electron-builder.
• Stated prerequisites — requires node 8.9.3+, npm 5.0+ (or yarn), and vue-cli 2.1+.
• Alternate clonable branch — a git-clone branch provides the non-vue-cli version of the template.

Who is it for?

• Vue developers moving to desktop: developers already writing Nuxt/Vue apps who want an Electron wrapper without assembling the integration themselves.
• Teams starting a desktop project: anyone who wants a project skeleton with dev and production build scripts preconfigured.
• vue-cli users: developers comfortable with the vue-cli 2.x workflow who prefer vue init over cloning a repo.
• Legacy Nuxt 2 maintainers: teams still running Nuxt 2 who need a matching Electron starter.

How does electron-template work?

Run vue init nuxt-community/electron-template my-project, then cd my-project and npm install (or yarn) to install dependencies. Use npm run dev for development with Vue devtools, and npm run build to produce a production build via electron-builder.

Pros and cons

• Combines Nuxt.js and Electron setup in one scaffold rather than requiring manual wiring.
• Ships distinct dev and production build commands.
• Documented prerequisites and install steps are explicit.
• The repository is archived and built for Nuxt 2, which reached end of life on June 30, 2024.
• It depends on vue-cli 2.1+ and requires vue-cli rather than modern tooling support.

FAQ

Is electron-template still maintained?

No. The repository is archived, and its README notes the template was built for Nuxt 2, which reached end of life on June 30, 2024, so it is not receiving updates.

What software do I need to use electron-template?

The README lists node 8.9.3+, npm 5.0+ (or yarn), and vue-cli 2.1+ (checkable with vue -V) as prerequisites before scaffolding a project.

How do I create a project with this template?

Install vue-cli 2.1+, then run vue init nuxt-community/electron-template my-project, enter the folder, and install dependencies with npm or yarn. Development uses npm run dev; production builds use npm run build.

Is there a non-vue-cli version of the template?

Yes. The README points to a git-clone branch for the original clonable version, as an alternative to generating a project through vue-cli.