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Neutralinojs v4.9.0 released!

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@github-actions github-actions released this 25 Nov 16:15
· 164 commits to main since this release

What's new

API: Custom methods

Neutralinojs offers the extensions API to write custom backend code with any programming language, but extensions come with the following drawbacks that affect apps in several scenarios:

  • Extensions use a shared WebSocket for communication, so using direct C++ references (i.e., the window handler) is impossible within extensions.
  • The developer is responsible for packaging their extension binaries.
  • A C++-based extension is not fast as native C++-based code due to the WebSockets-based IPC.

Alternatively, a developer can download the framework C++ code, modify it, and re-compile it. But, the developer may face issues while synching upstream code modifications. So, Neutralinojs offers a separate namespace, a function template, inbuilt helper functions (i.e., to get the window handler, validation, etc.), and a developer guide to add custom APIs to the Neutralinojs framework without updating the framework core.

Example:

let res = await Neutralino.custom.fetch('https://neutralino.js.org');

If developers make a custom API that others can use, we motivate them to contribute to the Neutralinojs framework by adding it to the main codebase.

Example:

let res = await Neutralino.net.fetch('https://neutralino.js.org');

If the developer adds a new custom method to the framework, the client library will automatically export it to the Neutralino.custom namespace by using the NL_CMETHODS internal global variable. The Neutralino.custom.getMethods function returns an array of custom methods similar to NL_CMETHODS.

API: File streams

The current Neutralinojs API offers non-stream-based (Promise-based but synchronous-like) functions for working with files. For example, the filesystem.readFile function reads the file content and retrieves data synchronously even though the WebSocket communication mechanism supports asynchronous patterns. However, the synchronous API lets developers work with files in a simple way, but they face the following issues in some scenarios:

  • Reading large files is not performance-friendly (The whole file content gets loaded into the memory).
  • Unable to work with dynamic file objects (i.e., Device files).
  • File descriptors are not persistent within the app lifecycle as they get destroyed after native API calls.

To solve this issue, we offer an event-based file stream API with the following functions/events:

Functions

  • filesystem.openFile: Creates a file stream by openning a file.
  • filesystem.updateOpenedFile: Triggers a file read/readAll event or sets the file cursor.
  • filesystem.getOpenedFileInfo: Returns (awaited) information about the file stream (Props: id, eof, pos, and lastRead)

Events

  • openedFile: Occurs per each file read event and whenever the file stream reaches EOF.

Update the config file option cli.binaryVersion with 4.9.0 and enter neu update to fetch this version.

Get started: https://neutralino.js.org/docs


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