Developing desktop apps from scratch: A feature checklist
17 days ago
- #user-experience
- #software-development
- #desktop-applications
- Starting a new software project is exciting but delivering a polished product requires more than just core features.
- Users expect certain features in desktop applications, especially when used by non-developers.
- The article provides a checklist of common features to consider for graphical, editor-style applications on Windows.
- Features include 'Open with...' functionality, file drag & drop, and single instance handling to prevent multiple instances of the app.
- Handling unsaved changes, maintaining a list of recently opened files, and ensuring DPI awareness are crucial for user experience.
- Support for Unicode is recommended to handle various languages and characters in filepaths and usernames.
- Implementing undo/redo functionality is essential for a mature editor, though complexity varies by data model.
- Serialization and deserialization of user data is necessary, with considerations for versioning and backwards compatibility.
- File references can be managed via filepaths or GUIDs, each with its own advantages and challenges.
- Multi-user file access requires handling concurrent edits to prevent data loss, with options for file sharing modes or metadata flags.
- Backup systems and autosave features can prevent data loss, with strategies like rolling backups.
- Crash reports, particularly minidumps, are invaluable for debugging issues that are hard to reproduce.
- Automatic updates or update notifications should be considered from the first version to ensure users can receive updates.