NativePHP for desktop v1 is finally here!

[simonhamp]

🎉 WE DID IT! We finally got to v1. I almost don't believe it!

This is an awesome milestone. For a project that started as just an idea, to see it reach a truly stable place and support building powerful apps across all major platforms is just incredible.

NativePHP came to life just 2 years ago (April 1, 2023) when I shared on Twitter some early success in a side project that I'd been working on for a few months.

Taylor Otwell said: "Very interested".

Aaron Francis voted: "Yes please".

That was all the encouragement we needed!

Today, it's the best way for Laravel devs to build distributable desktop apps.

Go get it!

To get these updates, you simply need to update the dependency in your composer.json:

"nativephp/electron": "^1.0",

And then run composer update.

If you've been using any of the beta releases and want to set your minimum-stability back to stable, you can now do so.

You can find all the details about the releases on our Release Notes page.

In case you missed it, v1 drops support for Laravel 10 and PHP 8.1 and 8.2.

You will also need Node v22 as a minimum now.

It feels amazing to finally wrap everything we've been doing in a production-grade label.

Go tell all your friends! NativePHP is ready for primetime!

But, of course, we're far from finished!

What's next?

We've got more additions to the NativePHP docs coming in the next few days to wrap up some final missing pieces, we'll give these releases a couple of weeks to settle down (probably with a few patch releases here and there to mop up any bugs).

Also, check out our Kitchen Sink app, which is now published. It's a pretty neat little demonstration of many of the things you can do with NativePHP for desktop today and we'll be adding more to it as time goes by.

Then we'll be spending some time working out what features make sense to build next for desktop. We've already got a few ideas, but if there's anything you're especially keen for, please make it known in the Discussions, either by voting for existing Ideas or creating new ones.

Beyond just the libraries, there's Zephpyr, the build service for NativePHP, which is already in early access. It's open to sponsors and NativePHP for mobile EAP members right now and we're steadily rolling it out to more and more users who are helping us with testing, bug hunting and feedback.

Think of Zephpyr as the "Laravel Forge" for NativePHP apps. We're focusing on NativePHP for desktop support right now, but we'll be adding support for mobile apps too with plenty more features over the coming months.

We're going to make building and distributing your NativePHP apps dead easy. Zephpyr will be generally available via subscription in the coming months.

Folks who join the Zephpyr early access now will get preferential discounts at launch. Or you can join the waitlist via zephpyr.com for a more modest launch day discount.

Thanks

Huge thanks are in order for the core contributors. Without these fine gents, v1 certainly would not have happened so soon!

Thank you @SRWieZ @gwleuverink and @PeteBishwhip 🙏🏼

Thank you all for your tireless efforts over the past few weeks pushing this forward; countless hours testing, building, bundling, and publishing apps; making, reviewing and merging PRs; triaging issues and just being awesome on Discord; waiting hours and hours for Apple notarization (and also for a new baby—congrats Willem!)

Thanks to all contributors.

And thanks to all our sponsors for supporting this monumental effort, but especially:

• BeyondCode
• Laradevs
• RedGalaxy
• Sevalla
• KaasHosting

---

I really hope you enjoy building apps with the very best version of NativePHP yet.

P.S. I love seeing what you're building, so please come share with us all over on Discord!

[mmonari]

Congratulations for all the beautiful work put into this piece of art! It's absolutely amazing to watch NativePHP coming into reality! PHP continues to empower people to go beyond innovation, and certainly what your efforts brought to the table adds so much more gas to the that fire! Thank you so much to everyone involved! 🚀✨❤️🎉

[simonhamp]

Wow! Thank you 🙏🏼

🥹

[protendai]

This is exciting, well done team can't wait to ship something

[simonhamp]

#WeMustShip

[abishekrsrikaanth]

@simonhamp all your work is greatly appreciated. This is great news and this opens up a lot more options to us developers. Congratulations on v1 release.

[simonhamp]

Thanks Abishek! Having your support has been a huge help too 🙏🏼

[PeteBishwhip]

Massive congrats to the entire team! It's been an interesting few weeks for sure! Very excited to see Android join the NativePHP family of software. There's only one way for NativePHP right now and thats TO THE MOON! 🚀🌔

[simonhamp]

Well done @PeteBishwhip - you've been amazing 👏🏼

Can't wait to see what awesome things we can do together

[funnyoldgames]

I’ve loved watching this project come along. Congrats @simonhamp, excited to ship something very soon!

[simonhamp]

Thanks for trying it, putting up with it, sponsoring it and pushing it further.

We wouldn't be here without your support @funnyoldgames 🙏🏼

[huzoorbux]

Congratulations on v1 release

[AldoBre]

Congratulations on the release and dedication in bringing these new features to PHP!

[YannBoyongo]

Congratulations on this release, the PHP community is really grateful and lucky to have you guys!

[maaprote]

Congratulations! This is awesome. The PHP community certainly is very grateful for what you are doing!

[phamthanhnghia]

Make PHP Great Again. Congratulations on this release!
Member from: Laravel Vietnam Community

[oleteacher]

Awesome sauce Simon and Team! Look forward to using for myself and possibly in the classroom.

[kitkay]

Sobre saliente

[sebacarrasco93]

This is the the start point of a big thing! Congratulations @simonhamp 🥳

PS: I can't wait to try It in a new project 😅

[gwhitdev]

Well done! This is so exciting and opens up so many possibilities!!

[GustavoEmmel]

I think theres already PHP GTK from the PHP God Pablo DallOglio

[simonhamp]

Yes, I started by exploring PHP-GTK. It was a project that held a lot of promise. Sadly, it hasn't been moved forward in quite a few years.

Quote from the project's official site:

The PHP-GTK project is no longer under active development, and the related mailing lists and other online services are no longer active.

And:

Last updated: Monday July 21 00:00:00 2016 UTC

[rmarsigli]

Woow I can use it in my Laravel web app? This is awesome guys, high level work!

[ioanmihalca-click]

Well done ✌️😎💎

[Abstechs]

Wow! I'm so happy to hear this release...

[HossamElshahawy]

i'm very happy for hear this release 🙏🏻🔥

[sigkydj]

En hora buena, felizidades

[mubeen003]

From a spark to a supernova — NativePHP v1 is not just a release, it's a revolution! 🚀🔥 #ProudMoment

[Timmyway]

That door wasn’t just closed... it was sealed. Until now. Congrats to the team! Awesome! 😎

[ilomih]

Congrats to the team on this ! 🚀 Keep up the amazing work—can’t wait to see what’s next!

[egyjs]

I'm excited to try it and be a part of the future from the present 🎉

[mokhdesigns]

Congratulations! This is awesome

[mike-a]

Sadly, this lacks a clear explanation of what it actually does. Developers really should understand that if they want to get products widely accepted they have to state clearly to audience, in well versed explanation: sell the sizzle not the sausage! I take it your "launch" statement, instead of the arrogant self-congratulating "Today, it's the best way for Laravel devs to build distributable desktop apps.", really means something along the lines of "Today we launch a client-side applications development platform to compete with Electron and other products from other languages! It can be stand-alone client-side product, such as for cryptocurrency and payment wallets, or intergrated with website application for chats and support."

It would be helpful at launch if a primer was given on historical problems and security issues of client-side PHP apps. And how this product resolves them, of course.

With 50+ years at the pioneering edge of digital tech I currently have two projects in development both using Electron. You could have persuaded me to try the (poorly named) NativePHP but I am concerned the product, and mindset, is not quite ready.

Congratulations on the work done and good luck for the product's evolution! If you are right, and the product is good, you may have a game changer for the most widely used programming language for WWW.

[gilbertoalbino]

Couldn't be more sane!

[simonhamp]

If you know a better way for Laravel developers to ship cross-platform desktop apps, please let me know 🙂

[funnyoldgames]

I’ll give an alternative view. It’s clear to me that “it's the best way for Laravel devs to build distributable desktop apps” means that anyone that works with Laravel can now package their projects as desktop apps and ship them to their users. It’s clear and uncomplicated, even if “best” is subjective.

Whereas “Today we launch a client-side applications development platform to compete with Electron and other products from other languages! It can be stand-alone client-side product, such as for cryptocurrency and payment wallets, or intergrated with website application for chats and support” Doesn’t really say anything to me beyond “here’s another way to release an app that could do something”.

I’m younger than you so I do not have 50+ years at the pioneering edge of anything, but I do appreciate clear language that sells the benefits to me. And the benefit here is I can ship something to users to run locally using a stack I (sort of) understand in a language I already know.

[mike-a]

Attend some talks at a secuity conference. Understand that, at most, Laravel (like Zend Framework it is founded upon) is at most a scaffold for project development.[1] There are many dangers of using any PHP toolkit for applications development, so the statement "it's the best way for Laravel devs to build distributable desktop apps" is at least misleading, and designed for pocket-filling professional litigators in future. On the investment side of my sunrise tech activity, I would never invest in a client app based on PHP: at present. Develop concept, yes (as I do), but then move to another technology.

Of course, I respect the views of younger enthusiasts. Violent disagreement is the forge of good product.

Simon has a good point: "If you know a better way for Laravel developers to ship cross-platform desktop apps, please let me know". My approach and that of my developers worldwide: concept with Electron and it's glut of user feedback, then interface to app development with C++, Go and other client-proven languages. I must admit to having a thing against Java, reinforced over wine years ago by conversation with one of it's Green Team (Kim Polese).

I am also concerned as to whether the likes of Microsoft and Google will allow apps based on this product through their firewalls.

Watching with interest! I've provided a wallet gig to work on Microsoft OS and Android to two developers to "observe" in the hope that this could be a way forward, at least for prototyping. I dislike the arrogant "NativePHP" name. That's a target, not a brand name ;)

[1] I was part of the ZF development community from early 2009

[simonhamp]

@mike-a I'd be more than happy to dive deeper on this, especially the "many dangers of using any PHP toolkit for applications development".

I most assuredly am not a security professional. One of the things we will be doing in time is various levels of external testing to help us improve and harden the output of apps built with NativePHP, of course as funds for the project will allow. At present it runs on quite a deficit.

I am also concerned as to whether the likes of Microsoft and Google will allow apps based on this product through their firewalls.

Not quite sure what you're referring to here. Could you elaborate?

[gilbertoalbino]

The gates have melted off their hinges, and Satan’s got front-row seats. LET’S ROLL.
We opened the cursed cookie jar and now the cookies bite back.
We’ve officially pivoted from ‘disrupting markets’ to ‘summoning demons.’ Beta testers welcome.
Level 666 unlocked. Final boss? Reality.

[johnlouie09]

Awesome! Can't wait to explore this! 🎉

[fdteam-deanie]

Great idea. Previously I had to combine Laravel 8 with standalone PHP to embed in Electron manually, now everything is convenient. Congratulations!

Can you tell me if combining with ionCube to encrypt PHP files and combining with bytecode to encrypt js files is possible when using Native PHP? Regarding the .env file issue, how should we do to avoid exposing information to clients?