This document describes how to quickly integrate Tencent Cloud TRTC SDK for Electron into your project.

Supported Platforms

• Windows
• macOS

Integrating TRTC SDK for Electron

Step 1: Install Node.js

Step 2. Install Electron

Run the following command in the command prompt to install Electron. Version 4.0.0 or above is recommended.

$ npm install electron@latest --save-dev

Step 3. Install the TRTC SDK for Electron

1. Use the following nmp command in your Electron project to install the SDK.

   $ npm install trtc-electron-sdk@latest --save
   

Note：

You can view the information of the latest version of TRTC SDK for Electron here.

2. Import the module into the project script and use the module.

   const TRTCCloud = require('trtc-electron-sdk').default;
   // import TRTCCloud from 'trtc-electron-sdk';
   this.rtcCloud = new TRTCCloud();
   // Get the SDK version number
   this.rtcCloud.getSDKVersion();
   

Since v7.9.348, the TRTC SDK for Electron has added the trtc.d.ts file to facilitate developers to use TypeScript:

import TRTCCloud from 'trtc-electron-sdk';
const rtcCloud: TRTCCloud = new TRTCCloud();
// Get the SDK version number
rtcCloud.getSDKVersion();

Packaging the Executable Program

Step 1. Install a packaging tool

1. We recommend that you use the packaging tool `electron-builder. You can run the following command to install it.

   $ npm install electron-builder@latest --save-dev
   

2. To package TRTC SDK for Electron, i.e., the trtc_electron_sdk.node file correctly, you must also run the following command to install native-ext-loader.

$ npm install native-ext-loader@latest --save-dev

Step 2. Modify webpack.config.js

The webpack.config.js file contains the configuration information for project building. You can locate it in the following ways.

• Normally, webpack.config.js is in the root directory of the project.
• If you create your project with create-react-app, the configuration file will be node_modules/react-scripts/config/webpack.config.js.
• If you create your project with vue-cli, webpack configuration will be stored in the configureWebpack property of vue.config.js.
• If your project is customized, please locate webpack configuration by yourself.

1. First, webpack.config.js must receive the --target_platform command line parameter so that your project can be packaged correctly for its target platform. Add the following code before module.exports.

   const os = require('os');
   const targetPlatform = (function(){
    let target = os.platform();
    for (let i=0; i<process.argv.length; i++) {
        if (process.argv[i].includes('--target_platform=')) {
            target = process.argv[i].replace('--target_platform=', '');
            break;
        }
    }
    if (!['win32', 'darwin'].includes) target = os.platform();
    return target;
   })();
   

Note：

In the result returned by os.platform(), darwin means macOS, and win32 means Windows (64-bit or 32-bit).

2. Add the following configuration to the rules option. The targetPlatform variable allows rewritePath to switch configurations according to the target platform.

   rules: [
   { 
        test: /\.node$/, 
        loader: 'native-ext-loader', 
        options: { 
            rewritePath: targetPlatform === 'win32' ? './resources' : '../Resources' 
        } 
    },
   ]
   

This above configuration means:

• If you create an EXE file for Windows, native-ext-loader will load the TRTC SDK in [application root directory]/resources.
• If you create a DMG file for macOS, native-ext-loader will load the TRTC SDK in [application directory]/Contents/Frameworsk/../Resources.

You also need to add the --target_platform parameter to the build script of package.json. See step 3 for details.

Step 3. Modify package.json

The package.json file is in the root directory of the project and contains information needed for packaging. Normally, to successfully package your project, you need to modify the path in package.json as follows.

1. Modify main.
   // In most cases, the name of the `main` file can be customized. For example, in TRTCSimpleDemo, `main` can be configured as:
   "main": "main.electron.js",
   
   // However, for projects created with the `create-react-app` scaffolding tool, `main` must be configured as:
   "main": "public/electron.js",

2. Copy the following build configuration to your package.json file for electron-builder to read.
   "build": {
       "appId": "[Custom appId]",
       "directories": {
       "output": "./bin"
       },
       "win": {
       "extraFiles": [
         {
           "from": "node_modules/trtc-electron-sdk/build/Release/",
           "to": "./resources",
           "filter": ["**/*"]
         }
       ]
       },
       "mac": {
       "extraFiles": [
         { 
           "from": "node_modules/trtc-electron-sdk/build/Release/trtc_electron_sdk.node", 
           "to": "./Resources" 
         }
       ]
       }
   },

3. Add command scripts for building and packaging under scripts.
   The following command scripts are for projects created with create-react-app and vue-cli. They provide samples for projects created with other tools too.
   // Use this configuration for projects created with `create-react-app`.
   "scripts": {
       "build:mac": "react-scripts build --target_platform=darwin",
       "build:win": "react-scripts build --target_platform=win32",
       "compile:mac": "node_modules/.bin/electron-builder --mac",
       "compile:win64": "node_modules/.bin/electron-builder --win --x64",
       "pack:mac": "npm run build:mac && npm run compile:mac",
       "pack:win64": "npm run build:win && npm run compile:win64"
   }
   
   // Use this configuration for projects created with `vue-cli`.
   "scripts": {
     "build:mac": "vue-cli-service build --target_platform=darwin",
     "build:win": "vue-cli-service build --target_platform=win32",
     "compile:mac": "node_modules/.bin/electron-builder --mac",
     "compile:win64": "node_modules/.bin/electron-builder --win --x64",
     "pack:mac": "npm run build:mac && npm run compile:mac",
     "pack:win64": "npm run build:win && npm run compile:win64"
   }

   Parameter	Description
   main	Entry point file of Electron, which can be customized in most cases. However, if your project is created with create-react-app, the file must be public/electron.js.
   build.win.extraFiles	When packaging for Windows, electron-builder will copy all files in the directory specified by from to bin/win-unpacked/resources (all in lowercase).
   build.mac.extraFiles	When packaging for macOS, electron-builder will copy the trtc_electron_sdk.node file specified by from to bin/mac/your-app-name.app/Contents/Resources (capitalize the first letter of each word)
   build.directories.output	Output path for packaging. In the sample above, the output file is saved to bin. You can modify it as needed.
   build.scripts.build:mac	Script for building for macOS
   build.scripts.build:win	Script for building for Windows
   build.scripts.compile:mac	Compile into a DMG file for macOS
   build.scripts.compile:win64	Compile into an EXE file for Windows
   build.scripts.pack:mac	Call build:mac to build the project and then `compile:mac` to package it into a DMG file
   build.scripts.pack:win64	Call build:win to build the project and then `compile:win64` to package it into an EXE file

Step 4. Run the packaging command

• Package the project into a DMG file for macOS:

  $ cd [Project directory]
  $ npm run pack:mac
  

  The packaging tool will generate an installation file named bin/your-app-name-0.1.0.dmg. Publish this file.

• Package the project into an EXE file for Windows:

  $ cd [Project directory]
  $ npm run pack:win64
  

  The packaging tool will generate an installation file named bin/your-app-name Setup 0.1.0.exe. Publish this file.

Note：

Currently, the TRTC SDK for Electron does not support cross-platform packaging. This means you cannot package your project into an EXE file on macOS or a DMG file on Windows, but we are working on this and may make it possible in the future.

FAQs

1. What are firewall restrictions does the SDK face?

The SDK uses the UDP protocol for audio/video transmission and therefore cannot be used in office networks that block UDP. If you encounter such a problem, see How to Deal with Firewall Restrictions.

2. What should I do if an exception occurs when I install or package the TRTC SDK for Electron?

If an exception occurs when you integrate the TRTC SDK for Electron, for example, if installation times out or the trtc_electron_sdk.node file fails to load after packaging, you can contact us for help.

References

• SDK API Guide
• SDK Update Log
• Simple Demo Source Code
• API Example Source Code
• FAQs