如何为现有的Web应用程序创建桌面应用程序？

Question

Well, I've tried to do some researches before creating a question but only a little has been found.

Basically, I have got a Spring-based web application. Apparently, you can navigate through web application using HTTP requests and URLs. If you want to edit a user you do a GET request /users/edit/{id} and a new page appears. Then you make some changes to the user and do a POST request /users/edit/{id} and let's say the main page appears.

So, now I need to create a desktop application which can do the same things. Do I need to rewrite the whole app to port it on the desktop? Is it possible somehow to do sort of HTTP requests from the desktop app to the server, then get a response and process it? Or perhaps there is a proper way to do it?

I feel like it's a big topic but I only need you to point me in the right direction as I'm lacking experience in creating both desktop and web applications together (I'd say, I have never ported app from web to desktop and vice verse) .

Earlier I created a few apps using JavaFX and I want to use it again as my GUI platform for the desktop app.

Answer 1

You can go for a solution like, Electron .

It's a framework for creating native applications with web technologies like JavaScript , HTML , and CSS . It uses Chromium and Node.js . You can develop your desktop GUI applications using front and back end components originally developed for your web application.

I'm just pointing you a way. You can look in to this solution and it's also open-source.

Answer 2

If you were about to develop the frontend from scratch I'd recommend you to use something like Ionic Framework where in the latest beta 4 allows you to write once run everywhere (web, PWA, desktop with Electron, and build native build for iOS and Android). Basically Ionic is an Angular 7 library/superset that allows you to create mobile apps based on a webview. This webview can be embedded and run on any device in a native way.

Even though the same codebase can be run on multiple devices you can customise the look and feel on each platform and access through Cordova, Electron or Capacitor the native device capabilities and hardware.

If you don't want to rewrite the web client, you can use any desktop framework with the preferred language you want. Any modern language/framework will allow you to make HTTP requests against your backend and get the data through your API. Honestly, nowadays I'd day that JavaFX is not the best option out there and I'd recommend you to go through the web-based approach.

Good luck!