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This page defines some terminology that is commonly used in Electron development.
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-## ASAR
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+### ASAR
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ASAR stands for Atom Shell Archive Format. An [asar][asar] archive is a simple
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`tar`-like format that concatenates files into a single file. Electron can read
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@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ arbitrary files from it without unpacking the whole file.
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The ASAR format was created primarily to improve performance on Windows... TODO
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-## Brightray
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+### Brightray
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Brightray is a static library that makes [libchromiumcontent] easier to use in
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applications. It was created specifically for Electron, but can be used to
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@@ -19,17 +19,17 @@ enable Chromium's renderer in native apps that are not based on Electron.
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Brightray is a low-level dependency of Electron that does not concern the
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majority of Electron users.
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-## IPC
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+### IPC
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IPC stands for Inter-Process Communication. Electron uses IPC to send
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serialized JSON messages between the [main] and [renderer] processes.
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-## libchromiumcontent
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+### libchromiumcontent
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A single, shared library that includes the Chromium Content module and all its
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dependencies (e.g., Blink, [V8], etc.).
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-## main process
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+### main process
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The main process, commonly a file named `main.js`, is the entry point to every
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Electron app. It controls the life of the app, from open to close. It also
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@@ -40,12 +40,12 @@ The full Node API is built in.
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Every app's main process file is specified in the `main` property in
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`package.json`. This is how `electron .` knows what file to execute at startup.
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-## MAS
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+### MAS
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Acronym for Apple's Mac App Store. For details on submitting your app to the
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MAS, see the [Mac App Store Submission Guide].
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-## native modules
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+### native modules
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Native modules (also called [addons] in
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Node.js) are modules written in C or C++ that can be loaded into Node.js or
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@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ building native modules.
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See also [Using Native Node Modules].
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-## process
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+### process
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A process is an instance of a computer program that is being executed. Electron
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apps that make use of the [main] and one or many [renderer] process are
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@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ object is a global that provides information about, and control over, the
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current process. As a global, it is always available to applications without
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using require().
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-## renderer process
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+### renderer process
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The renderer process is a browser window in your app. Unlike the main process,
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there can be multiple of these and each is run in a separate process.
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@@ -82,13 +82,13 @@ allowed access to native resources. Electron users, however, have the power to
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use Node.js APIs in web pages allowing lower level operating system
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interactions.
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-## Squirrel
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+### Squirrel
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Squirrel is an open-source framework that enables Electron apps to update
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automatically as new versions are released. See the [autoUpdater] API for
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info about getting started with Squirrel.
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-## userland
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+### userland
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This term originated in the Unix community, where "userland" or "userspace"
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referred to programs that run outside of the operating system kernel. More
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@@ -103,13 +103,13 @@ overly prescriptive about how it should be used. Userland enables users to
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create and share tools that provide additional functionality on top of what is
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available in "core".
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-## V8
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+### V8
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V8 is Google's open source JavaScript engine. It is written in C++ and is
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used in Google Chrome, the open source browser from Google. V8 can run
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standalone, or can be embedded into any C++ application.
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-## webview
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+### webview
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`webview` tags are used to embed 'guest' content (such as external web pages) in
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your Electron app. They are similar to `iframe`s, but differ in that each
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