Nowadays, when speaking of HTML5 desktop application development, one implies either NW.js or Electron. The first one has a shorter learning curve, which makes it a better choice for the beginning. Our first application will be a File Explorer. This sort of software is traditionally considered as a classical desktop application. I believe that you will find it exciting to build a File Explorer with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. This chapter requires no skills in JavaScript frameworks, as we will use none. All you need is a basic knowledge of HTML, CSS, and plain JavaScript (including Node.js).
So, what are we up to? We will plan and sketch the project. We will set up the development environment and create a static prototype and run it with NW.js. We will implement the basic functionality, making it ready to be enhanced in Chapter 2, Creating a File Explorer with NW.js Enhancement and Delivery.
