Desktop App

[zachbresler21]

What

Added Electron desktop application support to enable running Pager as a native desktop app across Windows, macOS, and Linux platforms.

Why

• Better user experience: Native desktop app with proper window management, system integration, and
  offline capabilities
  • Professional deployment: Distribute Pager as a standalone application without browser dependencies
  • Enhanced productivity: Users can access Pager directly from their desktop/dock without opening a
    browser
  • System integration: Future potential for desktop notifications, file system access, and OS-specific
    features

How

Using Electron to wrap the existing Next.js application with the following approach:

• Smart server management: Development mode uses existing dev server, production mode starts embedded
  Next.js server
• Full feature preservation: All API routes, authentication, real-time features, and routing work
  identically
• Electron-aware navigation: Custom redirect handling to ensure Next.js redirects work properly in the
  Electron environment
• Cross-platform builds: Configured electron-builder for Windows, macOS, and Linux distribution
• Security hardening: Disabled node integration, enabled context isolation, and implemented secure
  preload scripts

Testing

• Tested locally with npm run dev
• Ran quality checks with npm run check-all
• Tested in multiple browsers (if UI changes)
• Verified accessibility (if UI changes)

Describe specific testing steps you took.

Screenshots

Checklist

• Code follows the project's style guidelines
• Self-review of the code completed
• Code is properly commented (if complex)
• Documentation updated (if needed)
• No breaking changes (or clearly documented)
• Linked related issues (if any)

Related Issues

Additional Notes

New Scripts Available:

• npm run electron - Start development mode
• npm run dist - Build for all platforms
• npm run dist:mac - Build for macOS only
• npm run dist:win - Build for Windows only
• npm run dist:linux - Build for Linux only

Architecture Notes:

• Reuses 100% of existing Next.js codebase without modifications
• Production builds include embedded Next.js server to support API routes
• Custom redirect handling ensures Next.js middleware works properly in Electron
• All existing features (authentication, real-time, file handling) work identically