How to Create Notification Alerts in Electron?

There are two primary methods to create notification alerts in Electron: using the HTML5 Notification API or Electron's Notification module. Here are the detailed steps and example code:

Using HTML5 Notification API

The HTML5 Notification API is more widely applicable and is used for creating notifications in web pages. When used in Electron, it invokes the system's notification functionality.

Steps:

1. Check permissions: Before sending a notification, verify or request user permission to display notifications.
2. Create and display the notification: Once permission is granted, you can create and display the notification.

Example code:

javascript
function showNotification() {
    // Check permissions
    if (Notification.permission !== "granted" && Notification.permission !== "denied") {
        Notification.requestPermission().then(permission => {
            if (permission === "granted") {
                createNotification();
            }
        });
    } else if (Notification.permission === "granted") {
        createNotification();
    }
}

function createNotification() {
    const notification = new Notification("New Notification", {
        body: "This is an example notification content.",
        icon: "path/to/icon.png"
    });

    notification.onclick = () => {
        console.log('Notification was clicked!');
    };
}

showNotification();

Using Electron's Notification Module

Electron provides a custom Notification module that fully supports sending system notifications within the application.

Steps:

1. Check support: On certain operating systems, Electron's notifications may not be supported, so first verify if support is available.
2. Create and display the notification.

Example code:

javascript
const { Notification } = require('electron');

function showElectronNotification() {
    if (Notification.isSupported()) {
        const notification = new Notification({
            title: "New Notification",
            body: "This is an example notification content.",
            icon: "path/to/icon.png"
        });

        notification.show();

        notification.on('click', () => {
            console.log('Notification was clicked!');
        });
    } else {
        console.log("Notification functionality is not supported!");
    }
}

showElectronNotification();

Conclusion

Based on your requirements, if you need more native system integration, it is recommended to use Electron's Notification module. If your application relies more on web technologies or needs to maintain consistency with traditional web applications, the HTML5 Notification API may be a better choice. In actual development, you can choose the appropriate method based on specific circumstances.