Prototype of a Datasette desktop application

[simonw]

As part of my goal to make installing Datasette as easy as possible, including fir people who don't know how to use a command-line, I've been working on a prototype of a Datasette desktop application (using Electron). I don't yet have an installable package but I wrote about my progress so far here: https://simonwillison.net/2021/Aug/30/datasette-app/

[simonw]

I made a bunch more progress on this today, summarized in this Twitter thread: https://twitter.com/simonw/status/1432871047691333634

Short version: I'm now planning to package a full standalone Python environment inside the app, and then on startup create a ~/.datasette-app/venv virtual environment and install Datasette and datasette-app-support there. The Electron app will then run that copy of Datasette.

This seems pretty convoluted, but I think it's the only way I'll reliably be able to support users being able to install plugins.

You can preview the current (unsigned) application by downloading the macos-dmg artifact from a recent commit, e.g. https://github.com/simonw/datasette-app/actions/runs/1188227461 - and then opening it, opening macOS system preferences, going to security and clicking "Open Anyway":

Here's a video of the app in action:

datasette-app-preview.mov