Project Structure
Recommended Directory Layout:
The source directory should contain four main subdirectories:
Main Directory: Contains the main process entry point, IPC handler definitions organized by domain, business logic services, and window management modules
Preload Directory: Contains the preload script entry point and exposed API definitions that bridge main and renderer
Renderer Directory: Contains the web application built with React, Vue, or Svelte, including the HTML entry point and Vite configuration
Shared Directory: Contains TypeScript types and constants shared between main and renderer processes
The project root should include the electron.vite.config.ts for build configuration, electron-builder.yml for packaging options, and resources directory for app icons and assets.
Main Process Setup
Application Lifecycle Management:
The main process initialization follows a specific sequence. First, enable sandbox globally using app.enableSandbox() to ensure all renderer processes run in isolated environments. Then request single instance lock to prevent multiple app instances from running simultaneously.
Window creation should occur after the app ready event fires. Configure BrowserWindow with security-focused webPreferences including contextIsolation enabled, nodeIntegration disabled, sandbox enabled, and webSecurity enabled. Set the preload script path to expose safe APIs to the renderer.
Handle platform-specific behaviors: on macOS, re-create windows when the dock icon is clicked if no windows exist. On other platforms, quit the application when all windows close.
For implementation examples, see examples.md Main Process Entry Point section.
Type-Safe IPC Communication
IPC Type Definition Pattern:
Define an interface that maps channel names to their payload types. Group channels by domain such as file operations, window operations, and storage operations. This enables type checking for both main process handlers and renderer invocations.
Main Process Handler Registration:
Register IPC handlers in a dedicated module that imports from the shared types. Each handler should validate input using a schema validation library such as Zod before processing. Use ipcMain.handle for request-response patterns and return structured results.
Preload Script Implementation:
Create an API object that wraps ipcRenderer.invoke calls for each channel. Use contextBridge.exposeInMainWorld to make this API available in the renderer as window.electronAPI. Include cleanup functions for event listeners to prevent memory leaks.
For complete IPC implementation patterns, see examples.md Type-Safe IPC Implementation section.
Security Best Practices
Mandatory Security Settings:
Every BrowserWindow must have webPreferences configured with four critical settings. contextIsolation must always be enabled to prevent renderer code from accessing Electron internals. nodeIntegration must always be disabled in renderer processes. sandbox must always be enabled for process-level isolation. webSecurity must never be disabled to maintain same-origin policy enforcement.
Content Security Policy:
Configure session-level CSP headers using webRequest.onHeadersReceived. Restrict default-src to self, script-src to self without unsafe-inline, and connect-src to allowed API domains. This prevents XSS attacks and unauthorized resource loading.
Input Validation:
Every IPC handler must validate inputs before processing. Prevent path traversal attacks by rejecting paths containing parent directory references. Validate file names against reserved characters. Use allowlists for permitted directories when implementing file access.
For security implementation details, see reference.md Security Best Practices section.
Auto-Update Implementation
Update Service Architecture:
Create an UpdateService class that manages the electron-updater lifecycle. Initialize with the main window reference to enable UI notifications. Configure autoDownload as false to give users control over bandwidth usage.
Event Handling:
Handle update-available events by notifying the renderer and prompting the user for download confirmation. Track download-progress events to display progress indicators. Handle update-downloaded events by prompting for restart.
User Notification Pattern:
Use system dialogs to prompt users when updates are available and when downloads complete. Send events to the renderer for in-app notification display. Support both immediate and deferred installation.
For complete update service implementation, see examples.md Auto-Update Integration section.
App Packaging
Electron Builder Configuration:
Configure the appId with reverse-domain notation for platform registration. Specify productName for display in system UI. Set up platform-specific targets for macOS, Windows, and Linux.
macOS Configuration:
Set category for App Store classification. Enable hardenedRuntime and configure entitlements for notarization. Configure universal builds targeting both x64 and arm64 architectures.
Windows Configuration:
Specify icon path for executable and installer. Configure NSIS installer options including installation directory selection. Set up code signing with appropriate hash algorithms.
Linux Configuration:
Configure category for desktop environment integration. Set up multiple targets including AppImage for universal distribution and deb/rpm for package manager installation.
For complete configuration examples, see reference.md Configuration section.
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