Compiling a Node.js Application into an .exe File

sachin

How to make exe files from a node.js app?

Well that would be very effective if we were able to wrap the whole node application into an executable file and share it because the end-users are just interested in running the application and not the underlying code and processes.

This causes the need for a simple executable file that can run on any operating system without requiring the user to perform installing dependencies and other steps to run the application.

In this tutorial, we’ll learn how to create executable files for our Node.js application. Then, we’ll compile our JavaScript files into an executable file.

Prerequisites

For one to quickly follow along with this tutorial, you’ll require a minimum of the following requirements:

• Node.js installed in your machine. If not, download it here.
• An IDE like Visual Studio Code or simple code editor like Sublime.
• A stable internet connection.
  If you are all set on the above requirements, let’s look at some packages to accomplish our goal.

Pros of executable files

Some advantages of the executable files include:

• Quick no-code execution: It only requires one click to run the file, and that’s it. Commands are not required to be run on the terminal to execute the program.
• Prevent unwanted code change: It prevents unwanted errors generated due to unplanned and accidental modification of source code.
• Supports distribution: Being hardware agnostic, the user doesn’t have to install any packages or dependencies. This allows one to run multiple instances of the code on any machine without further requirements.

Packages used

pkg: It is a Node.js package that can convert your Node.js app into several executable files for various operating systems (all at once) or of an individual operating system.