access and package external files in an electron application

1
votes

I am building my first electron app that has application content (a JSON file).

My problem is that I cannot access the application content after packaging with electron-build.

I added the JSON file (mvdb.json) in question to the external resources and resolve the path in the main process.

package.json

"build": {
    "appId": "com.example.app",
    "extraResources": ["mvdb.json"],
    "mac": {
      "category": "your.app.category.type"
    },
    "win": { "target": ["portable", "NSIS"]
    },
    "directories": {
      "output": "release"
    }
  },

main.js

const fs = require('fs');

const isDev = process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production'

// Load MOVIE Database
const MOVIE_DB_PATH = isDev ? path.join(__dirname, 'mvdb.json') : path.join(process.resourcesPath, 'mvdb.json');

...

fs.readFileSync(MOVIE_DB_PATH)

The macOS package build has the mvdb.json file in the Contents/Ressources folder, but when launched I get the error message

Uncaught Exception:
Error: ENOENT, mvdb.json not found in /Users/me/Documents/projects/screenwriters-delight/electron/release/mac/screenwriters-delight.app/Contents/Resources/app.asar
at createError (electron/js2c/asar.js:111:17)
    at Object.fs.readFileSync (electron/js2c/asar.js:548:24)
    at loadDB ...

Any suggestions?

1
node.jselectron

1 Answers

2
votes

Try this

path.join(process.resourcesPath, '..', 'mvdb.json')

You need to move one folder back.