Feature request : a desktop edition (Electron App)

[fadi123go]

Title

No response

Feature Description

I would love to see a desktop edition in the future which may be realised via a portable folder or the use of an appropriate tool from this list https://github.com/sudhakar3697/awesome-electron-alternatives?tab=readme-ov-file . Such version would be useful to freelancers , very small businesses , or accounting students. Supporting sqlite next to mysql would make such version possible. Accountants are usually not technical people .

Use Case

No response

Additional Context (Optional)

No response

Priority Level

None

[nielsdrost7]

It's a great idea.
I'm moving it to the "v2" list where ot has a better chance to be created.

sqlite is possible with "v2", since that is created with Laravel.

As far as "v1" is concerned, I don't know of CodeIgniter offers a connection with "sqlite".
They had a application/config/database.php config file where you could set all kinds of settings.

[nielsdrost7]

@coderabbitai make plan

[coderabbitai]

Coding Plan

Approach

Package the Laravel Filament invoicing application as a standalone desktop application for non-technical users such as freelancers, small businesses, and accounting students. This requires enabling SQLite as the embedded database to eliminate external database dependencies, and integrating NativePHP to bundle the application with a PHP runtime for easy single-file distribution.

Observations

InvoicePlane v2 is a Laravel-based invoicing application with a modular architecture (8 modules: Core, Clients, Invoices, Expenses, Payments, Products, Projects, Quotes). The application already defaults to SQLite in config/database.php and uses SQLite in-memory for testing, demonstrating existing multi-database support. The codebase uses Laravel's Eloquent ORM exclusively with proper database abstraction through the Schema Builder. Only two MySQL-specific issues exist: an ENUM column in the invoices migration and MySQL-specific raw SQL in the DatabaseSeeder. The application uses Filament for the admin panel and follows a service layer architecture.

Assumptions

Assumption 1: Desktop Packaging Framework Selection

Options Considered:

1. NativePHP with Tauri backend - Laravel-specific solution that bundles PHP runtime, produces small secure binaries
2. Raw Tauri with PHP sidecar - More control but requires custom PHP bundling and IPC setup
3. NW.js - Mature ecosystem but large binaries and higher memory usage
4. Neutralinojs - Ultra-lightweight but less mature with known integration gaps

Chosen Option: 1

Rationale: NativePHP is purpose-built for Laravel applications, handles PHP runtime bundling automatically, and uses Tauri for small/secure desktop binaries - ideal for non-technical end users.

💡 User Tips

Regenerate the plan with different choices with @coderabbitai <feedback>.

Implementation Steps

Phase 1: Enable SQLite for Desktop Deployment

This phase resolves two MySQL-specific code patterns that prevent the application from running on SQLite. SQLite is essential for the desktop application because it eliminates the need for users to install and configure an external database server, enabling a truly self-contained portable application.

Task 1: Replace ENUM Column with SQLite-Compatible Type

Create a new migration to alter the invoice_sign column from ENUM to a string type, which SQLite supports natively.

• Create new migration in Modules/Invoices/Database/Migrations/ to modify the invoices table
• Change invoice_sign column from enum('invoice_sign', ['1', '-1']) to string('invoice_sign', 2)
• Ensure the default value of '1' is preserved
• Use Schema::table() for the alteration rather than recreating the table

Task 2: Make DatabaseSeeder Database-Agnostic

Refactor the truncateAll() method to detect the database driver and use appropriate SQL syntax for each supported database.

• Modify database/seeders/DatabaseSeeder.php to add driver detection using DB::connection()->getDriverName()
• For SQLite: Use SELECT name FROM sqlite_master WHERE type='table' to list tables and PRAGMA foreign_keys = OFF/ON for constraint handling
• For MySQL/MariaDB: Keep existing SHOW TABLES and SET FOREIGN_KEY_CHECKS syntax
• Wrap the database-specific logic in a clean conditional structure

Task 3: Update Environment Configuration Examples

Update environment example files to document SQLite as a supported production database option alongside MariaDB.

• Update .env.example to include commented SQLite configuration section as an alternative to MariaDB
• Add inline comments explaining when SQLite is appropriate (single-user, desktop, small deployments)
• Document the DB_DATABASE path configuration for SQLite file location
• Ensure config/database.php SQLite connection has appropriate defaults for production use

🤖 Prompt for AI agents

Enable SQLite compatibility for self-contained desktop deployment by removing
MySQL-specific patterns. The goal is to eliminate external database dependencies
for the desktop application.

Create a migration to convert the `invoice_sign` ENUM column to a string type
with preserved default value.

Update DatabaseSeeder to detect the database driver and use driver-specific SQL
(SQLite uses sqlite_master and PRAGMA commands, MySQL uses SHOW TABLES and SET
FOREIGN_KEY_CHECKS).

Add SQLite configuration examples to .env.example with documentation about
appropriate use cases.

Phase 2: Package Desktop Application with NativePHP

This phase integrates NativePHP to package the Laravel application as a standalone desktop application, which is the primary deliverable of this ticket. NativePHP bundles the PHP runtime and application together, creating a distributable package that non-technical users can run without any server setup.

Task 1: Install NativePHP Package

Add NativePHP as a dependency and publish its configuration files.

• Add nativephp/electron or nativephp/tauri package via Composer (prefer Tauri for smaller binaries)
• Run the NativePHP installation command to publish configuration files
• Ensure the package is added to the appropriate composer.json section (likely require-dev initially)

Task 2: Create NativePHP Service Provider with Window and Menu Configuration

Set up a dedicated NativeAppServiceProvider that configures the desktop window settings and application menu structure appropriate for an invoicing application.

• Create app/Providers/NativeAppServiceProvider.php extending NativePHP\Laravel\NativeServiceProvider
• Implement the boot() method to configure window and menu settings
• Window configuration should include:
  • Title set to "InvoicePlane" with dynamic company name support
  • Default dimensions of 1280x800 (suitable for invoice viewing/editing)
  • Minimum dimensions of 1024x768 to ensure UI usability
  • Enable window resizing and maximizing
  • Set application icon path to existing branding assets
  • Configure the window to open at the company dashboard URL
• Menu configuration using Native\Laravel\Facades\Menu facade:
  • App menu with About, Preferences, and Quit items
  • File menu with New Invoice, New Quote, New Client shortcuts
  • Edit menu with standard Cut, Copy, Paste, Select All
  • View menu with Reload, Toggle DevTools (dev only), Fullscreen
  • Window menu with Minimize, Zoom, Close
  • Help menu linking to documentation
• Register the provider in bootstrap/providers.php after AppServiceProvider
• Use conditional registration to only boot when running in NativePHP context

Task 3: Create Desktop Environment Configuration

Create a dedicated environment configuration for desktop mode that defaults to SQLite and configures appropriate paths.

• Create .env.desktop.example with SQLite as the default database connection
• Configure DB_DATABASE to use a relative path within the application's data directory for portability
• Set appropriate cache, session, and log drivers for desktop use (file-based rather than Redis)
• Configure any desktop-specific settings (disable external API calls if not needed, etc.)

Task 4: Add Composer Scripts for Desktop Development and Build

Add six composer scripts to composer.json for desktop development and building distributable packages for all platforms.

Deliverable 1: Six Composer Scripts

Add the following six scripts to the scripts section of composer.json:

1. "native:serve": "@php artisan native:serve --ansi" - Run desktop app in development mode with hot reload
2. "native:build:mac": "@php artisan native:build mac --ansi" - Build macOS .dmg installer
3. "native:build:windows": "@php artisan native:build win --ansi" - Build Windows .exe installer
4. "native:build:linux": "@php artisan native:build linux --ansi" - Build Linux AppImage
5. "native:build": "@php artisan native:build --ansi" - Build for current platform (auto-detect)
6. "native:build:all": ["@native:build:mac", "@native:build:windows", "@native:build:linux"] - Build all platform variants sequentially

Deliverable 2: DESKTOP.md Documentation

Create DESKTOP.md in the project root with the following sections:

• Prerequisites: Document required tools for building (Node.js version, npm/yarn, Rust toolchain for Tauri, platform-specific requirements like Xcode for macOS, Visual Studio Build Tools for Windows)
• Development Workflow: Instructions for running composer native:serve, hot reload behavior, debugging with DevTools, switching between web and desktop modes
• Build Process: Step-by-step guide for each platform using the composer scripts, expected output locations, code signing considerations, versioning the builds
• Troubleshooting: Common issues and solutions (build failures, missing dependencies, permission errors, SQLite database location issues, platform-specific quirks)

Task 5: Configure NativePHP Application Settings

Set up the config/nativephp.php configuration file with appropriate settings for the invoicing application.

• Configure app metadata: name as "InvoicePlane", version synced from app config, app_id as "com.invoiceplane.desktop", author with maintainer information
• Configure deeplink scheme "invoiceplane" for handling custom protocol URLs
• Set cleanup_env_keys array to strip sensitive environment variables (DB_PASSWORD, API keys, APP_KEY) before bundling
• Set cleanup_exclude_files to remove development-only files (.git, tests/, node_modules/, .env)
• Configure permissions array: disable unnecessary permissions (camera, microphone, location), enable filesystem access for PDF exports and data backup
• Specify required PHP extensions for bundling: pdo_sqlite, mbstring, openssl, gd, fileinfo

🤖 Prompt for AI agents

Integrate NativePHP to create a standalone desktop application with bundled PHP
runtime - this is the primary deliverable. The goal is to package the
application so non-technical users can run it without any server setup.

Install the NativePHP package (preferably Tauri variant) via Composer and
publish configuration files.

Create app/Providers/NativeAppServiceProvider.php extending
NativeServiceProvider. Configure window settings (title "InvoicePlane",
dimensions 1280x800, minimum 1024x768, resizable, icon, dashboard URL). Set up
complete menu structure using Menu facade with App, File, Edit, View, Window,
and Help menus. Register provider in bootstrap/providers.php with conditional
loading for NativePHP context.

Create .env.desktop.example with SQLite defaults, portable paths, and file-based
drivers for cache/session/logs.

Add six composer scripts to composer.json for native:serve, native:build
(auto-detect), native:build:mac, native:build:windows, native:build:linux, and
native:build:all. Create DESKTOP.md documenting prerequisites (Node.js, Rust
toolchain, platform-specific tools), development workflow (composer
native:serve, hot reload, DevTools), build process (platform-specific guides,
output locations, code signing), and troubleshooting (common issues and
solutions).

Configure config/nativephp.php with app metadata (name "InvoicePlane", version,
app_id "com.invoiceplane.desktop", author), deeplink scheme "invoiceplane",
cleanup settings (strip DB_PASSWORD/API keys/APP_KEY, remove
.git/tests/node_modules/.env), permissions (disable camera/microphone/location,
enable filesystem), and PHP extensions (pdo_sqlite, mbstring, openssl, gd,
fileinfo).

---

🚀 Next Steps

🤖 All AI agent prompts combined

Task: 1

Enable SQLite compatibility for self-contained desktop deployment by removing
MySQL-specific patterns. The goal is to eliminate external database dependencies
for the desktop application.

Create a migration to convert the `invoice_sign` ENUM column to a string type
with preserved default value.

Update DatabaseSeeder to detect the database driver and use driver-specific SQL
(SQLite uses sqlite_master and PRAGMA commands, MySQL uses SHOW TABLES and SET
FOREIGN_KEY_CHECKS).

Add SQLite configuration examples to .env.example with documentation about
appropriate use cases.
===============================================================================

Task: 2

Integrate NativePHP to create a standalone desktop application with bundled PHP
runtime - this is the primary deliverable. The goal is to package the
application so non-technical users can run it without any server setup.

Install the NativePHP package (preferably Tauri variant) via Composer and
publish configuration files.

Create app/Providers/NativeAppServiceProvider.php extending
NativeServiceProvider. Configure window settings (title "InvoicePlane",
dimensions 1280x800, minimum 1024x768, resizable, icon, dashboard URL). Set up
complete menu structure using Menu facade with App, File, Edit, View, Window,
and Help menus. Register provider in bootstrap/providers.php with conditional
loading for NativePHP context.

Create .env.desktop.example with SQLite defaults, portable paths, and file-based
drivers for cache/session/logs.

Add six composer scripts to composer.json for native:serve, native:build
(auto-detect), native:build:mac, native:build:windows, native:build:linux, and
native:build:all. Create DESKTOP.md documenting prerequisites (Node.js, Rust
toolchain, platform-specific tools), development workflow (composer
native:serve, hot reload, DevTools), build process (platform-specific guides,
output locations, code signing), and troubleshooting (common issues and
solutions).

Configure config/nativephp.php with app metadata (name "InvoicePlane", version,
app_id "com.invoiceplane.desktop", author), deeplink scheme "invoiceplane",
cleanup settings (strip DB_PASSWORD/API keys/APP_KEY, remove
.git/tests/node_modules/.env), permissions (disable camera/microphone/location,
enable filesystem), and PHP extensions (pdo_sqlite, mbstring, openssl, gd,
fileinfo).

💡 Iterate on the plan with: @coderabbitai <feedback>

Example Feedback
- @coderabbitai You can skip phase 3. Add a simple unit test case for phase 2.
- @coderabbitai For assumption 1 go ahead with option 3 and replan.

---

💬 Have feedback or questions? Drop into our discord!

[nielsdrost7]

@coderabbitai Add six composer scripts for
native:serve, native:build variants for mac/windows/linux. Create DESKTOP.md
documenting prerequisites, development workflow, build process, and
troubleshooting.

[coderabbitai]

I've updated the plan above based on your feedback. Ready to proceed when you are!