What is this?
Wails is a framework for building desktop apps with Go: it wraps your Go backend and a web frontend into a single binary, with tooling for creating, compiling and bundling the project.
Wails is a framework for building desktop apps with Go: it wraps your Go backend and a web frontend into a single binary, with tooling for creating, compiling and bundling the project.Is it a framework or just a library?A framework — it ships a powerful CLI that scaffolds new projects and handles compilation and bundling, not just code you import.
A framework — it ships a powerful CLI that scaffolds new projects and handles compilation and bundling, not just code you import.Do I have to build the UI with a specific frontend stack?No — any frontend tech you already know works, with pre-built templates for React, Vue, Svelte, Angular and others.
No — any frontend tech you already know works, with pre-built templates for React, Vue, Svelte, Angular and others.Does it bundle a browser like Electron?No. It renders through the operating system's native web engine instead of shipping an embedded browser, which keeps apps lightweight.
No. It renders through the operating system's native web engine instead of shipping an embedded browser, which keeps apps lightweight.Is it for Go developers specifically?Primarily yes: it targets Go programmers who want an HTML/JS/CSS frontend bundled into their app without running a server and opening a browser to view it.
Primarily yes: it targets Go programmers who want an HTML/JS/CSS frontend bundled into their app without running a server and opening a browser to view it.Can I ship the same app on Windows, macOS and Linux?Yes — it's multiplatform, so one Go backend plus a web frontend covers Windows, macOS and Linux.
Yes — it's multiplatform, so one Go backend plus a web frontend covers Windows, macOS and Linux.How does it compare to Electron?The author calls it a lightweight Electron alternative for Go developers: it offers native elements like menus and dialogs, but whether it fits depends on your requirements.
The author calls it a lightweight Electron alternative for Go developers: it offers native elements like menus and dialogs, but whether it fits depends on your requirements.Can JavaScript talk to my Go code?Yes — you can call Go methods directly from Javascript, Wails auto-generates Typescript definitions for your Go structs and methods, and events are unified between the two sides.
Yes — you can call Go methods directly from Javascript, Wails auto-generates Typescript definitions for your Go structs and methods, and events are unified between the two sides.What is the state of v2 versus v3?v2 is stable and documented at wails.io; v3 is in beta, installs as 'wails3' and has its own docs at v3.wails.io.
v2 is stable and documented at wails.io; v3 is in beta, installs as 'wails3' and has its own docs at v3.wails.io.Why is it called Wails?It began as a pun on 'Webview on Rails' — tooling around webview apps the way Rails serves Ruby — and also happens to be a homophone of the country the author is from.
It began as a pun on 'Webview on Rails' — tooling around webview apps the way Rails serves Ruby — and also happens to be a homophone of the country the author is from.What are similar projects?razzle, ui-ux-pro-max-skill, NativeScript, feathers, konva, mitosis, openui, vitest
razzle, ui-ux-pro-max-skill, NativeScript, feathers, konva, mitosis, openui, vitest