Hot reloading in ElectronJs

Hot reloading is a powerful feature in ElectronJS that allows developers to quickly see code changes in real time without restarting the application. It makes the development process faster and more efficient by reducing the time and effort required to test changes.

Steps to implement hot reloading in ElectronJS

The hot reload feature is implemented using a library called "Electron-Reload", which can be easily integrated into Electron JS applications in a few simple steps. Users can follow the steps below to implement hot reloading in Electron Js -

Install electronic reload module

The first step to implement hot reloading in Electron JS is to install the electro-reload module. Users can install it using npm as shown below -

npm install electron-reload 

Electron reloading required in main process

Once the electron reload module is installed, we need to use it in the main process of the electron application. We can do this by adding the following code to the main.js file -

const electronReload = require('electron-reload');
electronReload(__dirname);

Reload renderer process

The final step is to reload the renderer process whenever our code changes. We can do this by adding the following code to the renderer.js file -

if (module.hot) {
   module.hot.accept();
}

Advanced usage and customization options for hot reload

Hot reloading in Electron is easy to set up, but the Electron Reload module provides additional options such as ignoring specific files and folders and excluding certain modules from reloading.

Important functions to implement hot reloading in ElectronJS

In hot reloading, there are some important functions that need to be understood in order to implement it in our Electron application -

module.hot.accept() - This function is used in the renderer process to enable hot reloading of the renderer process. When the renderer process code changes, the renderer process will automatically reload and the changes will be reflected in the application in real time.

ElectronReload(__dirname) - This function is used in the main process to enable hot reload of the main process. Whenever the code changes, it reloads the main process, allowing us to see the effects of the changes in real time.

app.on('ready', () => {...}) - This event handler is called when the Electron application is ready to be displayed to the user. It is typically used to create the main window and load the initial HTML file.

BrowserWindow - This class is used to create new windows in Electron applications. In the main process, we can create instances of BrowserWindow and set various options, such as size and web preferences, to customize the appearance and behavior of each window.

These functions are key to understanding how hot reloading works in Electron JS, and are used in the examples provided earlier in this tutorial. By understanding how to use these functions, we can implement hot reloading in Electron applications and make changes to the main and renderer processes in real time.

Example

In this example, first we create a new ElectronJS application using the electro.app module and use the on method to register a callback function that fires when the application is ready. In this callback function, we create a new browser window using the Electron.BrowserWindow module and load the index.html file into it.

Next, in the renderer.js file, we use the module.hot property to enable hot reloading in the renderer process. This way, if we make any changes to the renderer.js file, the updated code will automatically reload.

Finally, we use console.log to log the message "Hello World!" to the console.

The

index.html file is a simple HTML file that displays headings and paragraphs and serves as the UI for the application.

main.js

// main.js 
const { app, BrowserWindow } = require('electron');
const electronReload = require('electron-reload');
electronReload(__dirname);
let win;
app.on('ready', () => {
   win = new BrowserWindow({
      width: 800,
      height: 600,
      webPreferences: {
         nodeIntegration: true
      }
   });
   win.loadFile('index.html');
}); 

renderer.js

// renderer.js
if (module.hot) {
   module.hot.accept();
}
document.getElementById('root').innerHTML = 'Hello, Hot Reloading!'; 

index.html

<html lang = "en" >
<head>
   <title> Electorn Js </title>
</head>
<body> 
   <h2> Hot Reload in ElectornJs </h2>
   <p> With hot reloading enabled, any changes made to the code in the "main.js" or "renderer.js" files will be reflected in the application in real-time without requiring a full restart of the application. </p>
</body>
 </html>

Example

In this example, the ElectronJs application is set up to create a new window when the "ready" event is fired, and the window loads the index.html file.

The "renderer.js" file contains hot module reload (HMR) statements that reload the renderer process whenever the code changes. It also logs "Hello World!" to the console.

The "index.html" file displays a title and a paragraph to indicate that hot reloading is enabled.

main.js

// main.js
const electron = require('electron');
const electronReload = require('electron-reload');
electronReload(__dirname);
const app = electron.app;
app.on('ready', createWindow);

function createWindow () {
   
   // Create the browser window.
   const win = new electron.BrowserWindow({
      width: 800,
      height: 600,
      webPreferences: {
         nodeIntegration: true
      }
   })

   // and load the index.html of the app.
   win.loadFile('index.html')
} 

renderer.js

// renderer.js
if (module.hot) {
   module.hot.accept();
}
console.log('Hello World!');

index.html

<html>
<head>
   <title> Electorn Js </title>
</head>
<body>
   <h2> Hot Reload Enabled </h2>
   <p> Hot reloading allows for a faster development experience as we can see the effects of our changes immediately. </p>
</body>
</html>

In this tutorial, users learned about the hot reload feature in ElectronJS and how it makes the development process faster and more efficient by allowing developers to see the effects of code changes in real time without restarting the entire application.

Users also learned about the key functions and steps to implement hot reloading in ElectronJS, such as requiring the Electron-reload module in the main process, reloading the renderer process, and understanding module.hot.accept( and other functions) ), electronReload( __dirname), app.on('ready', () => {...}) and BrowserWindow. By following these steps and understanding these key features, users can implement hot reloading in our ElectronJS applications and make changes to the main and renderer processes in real time.

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