better-sqlite3 build failed in windows 11 with electron

[SimantaRajSarma]

admin-app postinstall$ npm run rebuild
│ npm warn Unknown env config "verify-deps-before-run". This will stop working in the next major version of npm.
│ npm warn Unknown env config "_jsr-registry". This will stop working in the next major version of npm.
│ > admin-app@0.1.0 rebuild
│ > npx electron-rebuild -f -w better-sqlite3
│ npm warn Unknown env config "verify-deps-before-run". This will stop working in the next major version of npm.
│ npm warn Unknown env config "_jsr-registry". This will stop working in the next major version of npm.
│ (node:5880) ExperimentalWarning: CommonJS module C:\Users\Dell\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\npm\node_modules\de…
│ Support for loading ES Module in require() is an experimental feature and might change at any time
│ (Use `node --trace-warnings ...` to show where the warning was created)
│ - Searching dependency tree
│   copy_builtin_sqlite3
│   sqlite3.c
│ C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Community\MSBuild\Microsoft\VC\v170\Microsoft.CppCommon.targets(787,5…
│ C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Community\MSBuild\Microsoft\VC\v170\Microsoft.CppCommon.targets(787,5…
│ C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Community\MSBuild\Microsoft\VC\v170\Microsoft.CppCommon.targets(787,5…
│ C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Community\MSBuild\Microsoft\VC\v170\Microsoft.CppCommon.targets(787,5…
│ C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Community\MSBuild\Microsoft\VC\v170\Microsoft.CppCommon.targets(787,5…
│ C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Community\MSBuild\Microsoft\VC\v170\Microsoft.CppCommon.targets(787,5…
│ C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Community\MSBuild\Microsoft\VC\v170\Microsoft.CppCommon.targets(787,5…
│ C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Community\MSBuild\Microsoft\VC\v170\Microsoft.CppCommon.targets(787,5…
│ C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Community\MSBuild\Microsoft\VC\v170\Microsoft.CppCommon.targets(787,5…
│ C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Community\MSBuild\Microsoft\VC\v170\Microsoft.CppCommon.targets(787,5…
│ C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Community\MSBuild\Microsoft\VC\v170\Microsoft.CppCommon.targets(787,5…
│ C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Community\MSBuild\Microsoft\VC\v170\Microsoft.CppCommon.targets(787,5…
│ C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Community\MSBuild\Microsoft\VC\v170\Microsoft.CppCommon.targets(787,5…
│ C:\Users\Dell\Desktop\ELECTION-app\node_modules\.pnpm\better-sqlite3@12.2.0\node_modules\better-sqlite3\build\Relea…
│ Error: `C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Community\MSBuild\Current\Bin\MSBuild.exe` failed with exit c…
│     at ChildProcess.<anonymous> (C:\Users\Dell\Desktop\ELECTION-app\node_modules\.pnpm\node-gyp@11.4.2\node_modules…
│     at ChildProcess.emit (node:events:507:28)
│     at ChildProcess._handle.onexit (node:internal/child_process:294:12)
│ × Rebuild Failed
│ An unhandled error occurred inside electron-rebuild
│ node-gyp failed to rebuild 'C:\Users\Dell\Desktop\ELECTION-app\node_modules\.pnpm\better-sqlite3@12.2.0\node_module…
│ Error: node-gyp failed to rebuild 'C:\Users\Dell\Desktop\ELECTION-app\node_modules\.pnpm\better-sqlite3@12.2.0\node…
│     at ChildProcess.<anonymous> (file:///C:/Users/Dell/Desktop/ELECTION-app/node_modules/.pnpm/@electron+rebuild@4.…
│     at ChildProcess.emit (node:events:507:28)
│     at ChildProcess._handle.onexit (node:internal/child_process:294:12)
└─ Failed in 26.1s at C:\Users\Dell\Desktop\ELECTION-app\admin-app

{
  "name": "admin-app",
  "version": "0.1.0",
  "private": true,
  "main": "src/main/main.ts",
  "type": "module",
  "scripts": {
    "start": "electron .",
    "rebuild": "npx electron-rebuild -f -w better-sqlite3",
    "postinstall": "npm run rebuild",
    "build": "echo build placeholder"
  },
  "dependencies": {
    "electron": "^38.1.2",
    "better-sqlite3": "^12.2.0"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "typescript": "^5.9.2",
    "@electron/rebuild": "^4.0.1"
  }
}

node -v
v23.1.0

pnpm -v
10.11.0

npm -v
npm warn Unknown env config "msvs-version". This will stop working in the next major version of npm.
npm warn Unknown env config "python". This will stop working in the next major version of npm.
11.6.0

electron -v
v38.1.2

OS: windows 11

[mceachen]

Your compilation toolchain doesn't seem to be set up correctly. If you upgrade to the latest better-sqlite3 version, there are now prebuilds for electron v38, so you'll be able to skip this.

[SimantaRajSarma]

@mceachen Thanks for pointing that out! Could you explain a bit more about what I need to change in my setup, or how to properly upgrade to the latest better-sqlite3 for Electron v38?

[dayudada]

Only run npx electron-rebuild

Or
1.
npm uninstall better-sqlite3
2.
npm install better-sqlite3 --build-from-source --runtime=electron --target=38.1.2 --disturl=https://electronjs.org/headers

--target= your electron version

[notBald]

Building for Electron 39 fails on Windows, but I managed to fix it by making this change in better_sqlite3.cpp:

NODE_MODULE_INIT(/* exports, context */) {
//	v8::Isolate* isolate = context->GetIsolate();
	v8::Isolate* isolate = v8::Isolate::GetCurrent();

I build using this command: npm install --build-from-source --dist-url=https://electronjs.org/headers --target=39.0.0

If I add --runtime=electron I have in the past gotten errors. What I do instead is modify abi_registery.json so that I don't need that argument:

  {
    "runtime": "node",
    "target": "39.0.0",
    "lts": false,
    "future": false,
    "abi": "140"
  },

[adzm]

I created #1416 for the Context::GetIsolate deprecation issue specifically with Electron 39.