First Desktop App

This quickstart describes the safe path. It does not run commands in this learn repo.

1. Create From Current Official Template

Use the current official create command from the Tauri docs. Recheck it before use because scaffold commands and package defaults change.

npm create tauri-app@latest

Pick a Vite frontend unless the project has a strong reason not to.

Before adding features, inspect these files:

src-tauri/tauri.conf.json
src-tauri/capabilities/
src-tauri/src/lib.rs
package.json
vite.config.ts

Find:

frontendDist
devUrl
beforeDevCommand
beforeBuildCommand
window labels
capability identifiers
registered commands
registered plugins
bundle targets

npm run tauri dev

This proves the dev shell can start. It does not prove packaging, signing, updater, sidecars, WebView2 install behavior, or mobile support.

Add one validated Rust command, register it with generate_handler, call it through one frontend wrapper, and test the wrapper with mocked IPC.

Keep the first capability small:

{
  "$schema": "../gen/schemas/desktop-schema.json",
  "identifier": "default",
  "windows": ["main"],
  "permissions": ["core:default"]
}

Add plugin permissions only after the feature needs them.

npm run tauri build

Record the artifact path, target OS, signing state, and smoke result.

Gotcha: If the app works only in tauri dev, you have not proved the Tauri app. You have proved a dev webview plus a dev server.