docs: add `deno desktop` reference page by lunadogbot · Pull Request #3085 · denoland/docs

lunadogbot · 2026-04-29T11:48:52Z

Summary

Adds a reference page for the new (experimental) deno desktop subcommand from the 2.8 milestone (denoland/deno#33441). The page documents the public-facing surface in the upstream PR and explicitly marks it experimental, since the API is still evolving.

Covered:

Quick start, including framework-detection mode (deno desktop .).
The three rendering backends — cef, webview, raw — and how WEF binaries are downloaded/cached.
Framework auto-detection list (Next.js, Astro, Fresh, Remix, Nuxt, SvelteKit, SolidStart, TanStack Start, Vite SSR) and the --hmr flow.
The Deno.BrowserWindow API surface (window lifecycle, bind/unbind RPC, executeJs, menus, native handle), plus Deno.dock and Deno.Tray.
Native prompt() / alert() / confirm() and the desktop.errorReporting.url hook.
Unified DevTools (--inspect / --inspect-brk / --inspect-wait).
Auto-updater (Deno.autoUpdate, Deno.desktopVersion).
Cross-compile and per-platform output formats (.app / .dmg / .exe / .AppImage).
The desktop config block in deno.json.

Also notes what is not yet implemented (codesigning, MSI, deb/rpm, notifications, clipboard, secureStorage).

Sidebar entry in runtime/_data.ts, entry in the CLI index page.

Test plan

deno task serve — page renders, sidebar entry resolves.
Page will need a follow-up sweep once the upstream PR settles. Marked experimental at the top so readers don't take it as gospel.

Adds a CLI reference page for the new (experimental) deno desktop subcommand which builds self-contained desktop apps from a Deno project. Documents the three rendering backends (cef / webview / raw), framework auto-detection, HMR, the Deno.BrowserWindow / Deno.Tray / Deno.dock APIs, the unified DevTools session, the auto-updater, the cross-compile output formats, and the new \`desktop\` block in deno.json. Marks the surface as still evolving. Adds entries to the CLI index and sidebar. Refs denoland/deno#33441

Adds a new runtime/desktop/ section with 16 guides covering configuration, backends, framework auto-detection, HTTP serving, the BrowserWindow API, bindings, menus, tray/dock, dialogs, HMR, unified DevTools, auto-update, error reporting, distribution, and a comparison vs Electron/Tauri/etc. Slims down runtime/reference/cli/desktop.md to a flag reference that links into the new section, and wires up the sidebar in runtime/_data.ts. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

Drops `command: desktop` and `openGraph*` frontmatter so renderCommand.tsx isn't invoked — there is no `desktop` entry in `_commands_reference.json` yet, and the renderer accesses `.about` unconditionally. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

fibibot

This PR adds 2,701 lines, which is over the scheduled-review size limit. Can this be split into smaller PRs, for example the reference page skeleton first and the generated/long-form sections separately?

crowlKats · 2026-05-19T14:09:27Z

Deferred from this release

# Conflicts: # runtime/_data.ts

…fork/lunadogbot/docs/2.8-deno-desktop

Update the desktop docs to match the implemented API: - Notifications: add a dedicated page for the Web `Notification` API + permission flow; drop the stale "not yet a Deno API" note. - Menus: `MenuItem` is a tagged union (`item`/`submenu`/`separator`/`role`), not a flat object; roles are now exposed; fix `showContextMenu(x, y, menu)`. - Windows: constructor options (`frameless`/`noActivate`/`transparentTitlebar`), `isClosed()`/`isVisible()`/etc. are methods, `executeJs` is non-generic, `getNativeWindow()` returns an `UnsafeWindowSurface`; drop `BrowserWindow.main`. - Tray/dock: add `getBounds()` + `attachPanel()` popovers; fix dock to `bounce(boolean)`/`setVisible`/`setMenu` + `reopen`; drop `clearMenu`. - Serving: `DENO_SERVE_ADDRESS` is `tcp:127.0.0.1:<port>`, fix URL examples. - Auto-update: patches require a `sha256`; document Ed25519 signed manifests. - Config/distribution: add `app.identifier` + `macos.codesignIdentity`; macOS bundles are code-signed (ad-hoc by default).

bartlomieju · 2026-06-10T12:29:46Z

+and stages the result for the next launch. If the next launch fails, the runtime
+rolls back to the previous version automatically.
+
+The update mechanism is inspired by Electrobun: small `bsdiff` patches instead


Might as well be inspired by deno upgrade which uses bsdiff. Seems like an implementation detail that doesn't need to be mentioned

bartlomieju

remove all em-dashes from this PR

bartlomieju · 2026-06-10T12:30:44Z

+## Calling `autoUpdate()`
+
+```ts
+Deno.autoUpdate({


Does this throw during deno run?

bartlomieju · 2026-06-10T12:32:45Z

+group (WebView). Calls go through `tokio::sync::mpsc` channels and `oneshot`
+channels for responses; the backend dispatches them via a notify / poll pattern
+in its run loop.


tokio is implementation detail and shouldn't be mentioned

bartlomieju · 2026-06-10T12:35:22Z

+| **Consistent rendering**    | Yes                    | No              | No                   | No               | Yes (CEF)                |
+| **Process model**           | Multi-process          | Multi-process   | Multi-process        | Single process   | Multi-thread             |
+| **Backend ↔ UI**            | IPC                    | IPC             | IPC                  | Native Rust      | In-process channels      |
+| **App size**                | ~100 MB+               | ~14 MB          | ~2–10 MB             | ~5 MB            | varies (CEF or system)   |


Put actual values, varies looks bad if all other have size specified

bartlomieju · 2026-06-10T12:35:32Z

+| **Process model**           | Multi-process          | Multi-process   | Multi-process        | Single process   | Multi-thread             |
+| **Backend ↔ UI**            | IPC                    | IPC             | IPC                  | Native Rust      | In-process channels      |
+| **App size**                | ~100 MB+               | ~14 MB          | ~2–10 MB             | ~5 MB            | varies (CEF or system)   |
+| **npm / Node compat**       | Yes (it is Node)       | Yes (via Bun)   | No                   | No               | Yes (Deno's Node compat) |


just yes/no

bartlomieju · 2026-06-10T12:35:48Z

+| **Framework auto-detect**   | No                     | No              | No                   | No               | Yes                      |
+| **HMR**                     | No                     | Yes             | Yes (Vite-based)     | Yes (`dx serve`) | Yes                      |
+| **Built-in auto-update**    | Full binary            | bsdiff          | Plugin               | None             | bsdiff                   |
+| **Built-in installers**     | Yes                    | No              | Yes                  | No               | Partial (DMG, AppImage)  |


What about msi?

bartlomieju · 2026-06-10T12:36:24Z

+supports cross-platform builds via electron-builder, but needs Node and
+platform-specific signing tools per target.
+
+**Full Node compatibility, with a choice of engine.** Electron bundles both


Suggested change

**Full Node compatibility, with a choice of engine.** Electron bundles both

**Full Node compatibility, with a choice of backend.** Electron bundles both

bartlomieju · 2026-06-10T12:36:54Z

+**Electrobun — fast iteration on macOS.** Electrobun's start-up speed and HMR
+are excellent on macOS. If you only ship Mac apps and like the Bun ecosystem, it
+is a strong choice.


lunadogbot and others added 6 commits April 29, 2026 11:48

docs: drop internal notion.md reference

154ede0

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

fmt

67ebc20

link Deno.* API references

78fe9e1

crowlKats changed the base branch from main to 2.8 May 5, 2026 11:43

fibibot reviewed May 17, 2026

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crowlKats changed the title ~~docs: add deno desktop reference page (2.8)~~ docs: add deno desktop reference page May 19, 2026

crowlKats marked this pull request as draft May 19, 2026 14:09

crowlKats added 3 commits June 9, 2026 20:36

Merge branch 'main' into fork/lunadogbot/docs/2.8-deno-desktop

d3d8d70

# Conflicts: # runtime/_data.ts

Merge remote-tracking branch 'lunadogbot/docs/2.8-deno-desktop' into …

8fb3113

…fork/lunadogbot/docs/2.8-deno-desktop

crowlKats changed the base branch from 2.8 to main June 9, 2026 19:48

crowlKats added 3 commits June 10, 2026 09:27

some cleanups

2d1fdcb

fixes

4aef9ff

fixes

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bartlomieju reviewed Jun 10, 2026

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bartlomieju requested changes Jun 10, 2026

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bartlomieju reviewed Jun 10, 2026

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docs: add `deno desktop` reference page#3085

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lunadogbot commented Apr 29, 2026

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