Tauri Version 1.0 published

The first stabile release of the open source framework Tauri was released two weeks ago. With this framework, developers can create desktop applications for all major operating system by using web technologies. This concept of web technologies for desktop applications is already known from the Electron framework, but has been improved by Tauri. Electron uses a combination of Node.js and the Chromium browser. This gives developers the great advantage of communicating with e.g. the file system like a normal application, i.e. without having to take the trip via the web APIs. However, Electron is known for its underestimated disadvantage of attaching a separate Chromium browser into your application. This approach quickly results in a very resource-intensive application.

Tauri’s approach

Tauri, on the other hand, uses its own „Wry“ WebEngine developed in Rust which allows it to create smaller and more efficient applications. It also uses a combination of Rust and JavaScript, which is rather atypical for such frameworks. A developer can use JavaScript and its UI library of choice to develop visual elements of ones application while relying on Rust or special JavaScript APIs for interactions between the program and the computer. It is possible to develop an entire application using only JavaScript skills. However, experience in both languages is recommended for more complex functions. Tauri also includes extensive measures for application security and data protection. For example, the developer must first allow all interactions with the backend.

Outlook into the future

The release of version 1.0 is by no means the end of the story. In the future, features such as:

• a support for Android and iOS devices
• integration of alternative rendere
• runtime plugins

are coming to framework. In particular, the first point on list will be a big deal. A complete mobile support would put Tauri on the same level with frameworks like Flutter which, coming from the mobile side, just discovered the desktop a few months ago.

Overall, it looks like a good start for an interesting framework that is currently on the market.