Skip to content

Electron Client

What is the Electron Client?

The Insight Electron Client is a desktop application based on the Electron framework. It packages the Insight interface into a standalone application that runs on Windows and macOS.

The Electron client provides:

  • Desktop integration: Native application experience on Windows and macOS
  • Offline-capable: Works without an internet connection
  • Independent operation: Does not require a web browser

Migration to PWA

The PWA offers a modern alternative to the Electron client with easier deployment and maintenance. See PWA documentation

Download, Installation & Updates

Availability

The Electron client is included in our release packages for both Windows and macOS.

Installation

Download the appropriate ZIP file for your operating system from the release package and extract it on the target computer. For enterprise deployments, software deployment tools can be used to distribute the Electron client to multiple computers.

Updates

Unlike the PWA, Electron client updates must be distributed and installed manually or using software deployment tools.

Configuration

Handle Multiple Environments

The Electron client stores all information (cache, downloads, server settings, cookies, offline data) in a dedicated cache directory.

Default Cache Directory:

  • Windows: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\insight-electron
  • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/insight-electron

Using Multiple Server Environments

To use different server endpoints (e.g., development, test, and production environments) simultaneously, you can duplicate the binary file. The cache directory name corresponds to the executable name, allowing each instance to maintain separate configurations.

Example for Windows:

  • insight-electron.exe → AppData/Roaming/insight-electron
  • insight-electron-dev.exe → AppData/Roaming/insight-electron-dev
  • insight-electron-test.exe → AppData/Roaming/insight-electron-test
  • insight-electron-prod.exe → AppData/Roaming/insight-electron-prod

Example for macOS:

  • Insight Electron.app → ~/Library/Application Support/insight-electron
  • Insight Electron Dev.app → ~/Library/Application Support/insight-electron-dev
  • Insight Electron Test.app → ~/Library/Application Support/insight-electron-test

Steps:

  1. Duplicate the Electron executable file
  2. Rename the copy to reflect the environment (e.g., add -test or -prod suffix)
  3. Launch each executable - it will create its own separate cache directory
  4. Configure each instance with the appropriate server URL

Preconfiguration

The Electron client can be preconfigured with default settings before deployment. See Insight Electron App Configuration for details.

Feature Support

The Electron client supports all Insight features with full desktop integration:

Supported Features

  • ✅ Camera, photo and files
  • ❌ GPS/Geolocation
  • ✅ File system access
  • ✅ Barcode scanner
  • ✅ Offline mode
  • ❌ Deep links
  • ⚠️ NFC (maybe via connected readers)
  • ⚠️ Push notifications (server poll when running)
  • ✅ Preconfiguration

Feature Notes

Push Notifications

  • The Electron client implements polling-based notification checking
  • Notifications are fetched from the server at regular intervals when the application is running
  • Native desktop notifications are displayed through the operating system