Is it possible not to create UI on start but serve only as web server?

[pashagolub]

Hello,

I tried hard to find the answer myself but failed. I want to add UI to one of my Go applications. The thing is, it's widely run in Docker containers, and in this case, there is no reason to create any windows. The only solution is to serve UI in a browser.

Can wails build an application that serves as a web server only, without creating window/webview/UI?

[leaanthony]

That's something we are planning and most of it is already there to be honest. @tmclane is keen on this too.

[pashagolub]

Sorry, missed the question. My application is a database scheduler which usually runs beside the PostgreSQL server or in a docker container somewhere nearby. But not as a client application. I want to provide users with a dashboard where they can create/edit/delete jobs, start/pause/stop jobs, see some basic stats.

[oSethoum]

@pashagolub I don't see why you would choose wails for such a use case; you can serve the UI (HTML/CSS/JS) from web server using either net/http package or other web frameworks such as fiber.

[pashagolub]

oSethoum, thanks for reply. I want to have both of worlds :-) Also I had experience in developing GUI apps and zero in web apps. So I thought it would be easier to use wails co create full GUI and only then to use it as a web app without modifying the code base

[oSethoum]

@pashagolub you are welcome, my knowledge with wails is limited but in this use case I don't think wails would be the best option, even if you are planning to use wails somehow you still need to make a web app, checkout how does wails work here frontend assets is basically a web app.

[Shackelford-Arden]

Just to make sure I'm following the correct things, is this the PR we're following for this discussion, @tmclane ?

#1652

[FrenchGithubUser]

I'm also pretty interested in this, is it somewhere in the roadmap ?

[pkuntik]

me too

[marcio199226]

i'm also interested, this will be a game changer for features that are not supported by webview itself of by the specific platform webview implementation such us lack of webrtc/mediaDevices on linux reported by @oxzjh here

I have some trouble now because I can't implement voicecall on linux, but if I could run wails only as backend (like waisl dev works) and call golang code from websocket that would be awesome

[leaanthony]

I'm curious as to why Wails would be considered for non-desktop scenarios over just plain Go using http. Genuine question that will help drive this feature 👍

[FrenchGithubUser]

this allows to have both (web service and standalone app) with only one codebase (at least in my case). For people who want to use the program on a single computer or as a web service on their local network for example

[marcio199226]

yeah I also thought about this use case: simply we are not tied to platform specific webview implementation limitation

I'm curious as to why Wails would be considered for non-desktop scenarios over just plain Go using http
The first use case as stated by @pashagolub in the first post then as I wrote above we are not tied to platform's webview but user can use any chromium based browser on his system, so we as web developers have the latest web browser api availables :)

I will try to explain my point of view, we can develop a desktop app (the be part) which is cross platfrom at the same time using the latest web technologies because our app is not tied to any webview (if developer choose that type of build type)

The advantages of not "using http" for me it's that developing in the current flow seems really native from perspective of an web developer and wails provide all stuff for ipc that feels more natural way and fast over a http implementation with standard req/res architecture

I don't know if my arguments are enough

is this somehow similar to what this #1652 implements ?

[FrenchGithubUser]

Yes I think it is what this PR implements and there has been recent activity on it !