# Desktop Application Architecture Questions

## Framework and Platform

1. **Primary framework:**
   - Electron (JavaScript/TypeScript, web tech, cross-platform)
   - Tauri (Rust backend, web frontend, lightweight)
   - .NET MAUI (C#, cross-platform, native UI)
   - Qt (C++/Python, cross-platform, native)
   - Flutter Desktop (Dart, cross-platform)
   - JavaFX (Java, cross-platform)
   - Swift/SwiftUI (macOS only)
   - WPF/WinUI 3 (Windows only, C#)
   - GTK (C/Python, Linux-focused)
   - Other: **\_\_\_**

2. **Target platforms:**
   - Windows only
   - macOS only
   - Linux only
   - Windows + macOS
   - Windows + macOS + Linux (full cross-platform)
   - Specific Linux distros: **\_\_\_**

3. **UI approach:**
   - Native UI (platform-specific controls)
   - Web-based UI (HTML/CSS/JS in Electron/Tauri)
   - Custom-drawn UI (Canvas/OpenGL)
   - Hybrid (native shell + web content)

4. **Frontend framework (if web-based UI):**
   - React
   - Vue
   - Svelte
   - Angular
   - Vanilla JS
   - Other: **\_\_\_**

## Architecture

5. **Application architecture:**
   - Single-process (all in one)
   - Multi-process (main + renderer processes like Electron)
   - Multi-threaded (background workers)
   - Plugin-based (extensible architecture)

6. **Backend/Business logic:**
   - Embedded in app (monolithic)
   - Separate local service
   - Connects to remote API
   - Hybrid (local + remote)

7. **Database/Data storage:**
   - SQLite (local embedded database)
   - IndexedDB (if web-based)
   - File-based storage (JSON, custom)
   - LevelDB/RocksDB
   - Remote database only
   - No persistence needed
   - Other: **\_\_\_**

## System Integration

8. **Operating system integration needs:**
   - File system access (read/write user files)
   - System tray/menu bar icon
   - Native notifications
   - Keyboard shortcuts (global hotkeys)
   - Clipboard integration
   - Drag-and-drop support
   - Context menu integration
   - File type associations
   - URL scheme handling (deep linking)
   - System dialogs (file picker, alerts)
   - None needed (basic app)

9. **Hardware access:**
   - Camera/Microphone
   - USB devices
   - Bluetooth
   - Printers
   - Scanners
   - Serial ports
   - GPU (for rendering/compute)
   - None needed

10. **System permissions required:**
    - Accessibility API (screen reading, input simulation)
    - Location services
    - Calendar/Contacts access
    - Network monitoring
    - Screen recording
    - Full disk access
    - None (sandboxed app)

## Updates and Distribution

11. **Auto-update mechanism:**
    - Electron's autoUpdater
    - Squirrel (Windows/Mac)
    - Sparkle (macOS)
    - Custom update server
    - App store updates only
    - Manual download/install
    - No updates (fixed version)

12. **Distribution method:**
    - Microsoft Store (Windows)
    - Mac App Store
    - Snap Store (Linux)
    - Flatpak (Linux)
    - Homebrew (macOS/Linux)
    - Direct download from website
    - Enterprise deployment (MSI, PKG)
    - Multiple channels

13. **Code signing:**
    - Yes - Windows (Authenticode)
    - Yes - macOS (Apple Developer)
    - Yes - both
    - No (development/internal only)

14. **Notarization (macOS):**
    - Required (public distribution)
    - Not needed (internal only)

## Packaging and Installation

15. **Windows installer:**
    - NSIS
    - Inno Setup
    - WiX Toolset (MSI)
    - Squirrel.Windows
    - MSIX (Windows 10+)
    - Portable (no installer)
    - Other: **\_\_\_**

16. **macOS installer:**
    - DMG (drag-to-install)
    - PKG installer
    - Mac App Store
    - Homebrew Cask
    - Other: **\_\_\_**

17. **Linux packaging:**
    - AppImage (portable)
    - Snap
    - Flatpak
    - .deb (Debian/Ubuntu)
    - .rpm (Fedora/RHEL)
    - Tarball
    - AUR (Arch)
    - Multiple formats

## Configuration and Settings

18. **Settings storage:**
    - OS-specific (Registry on Windows, plist on macOS, config files on Linux)
    - JSON/YAML config file
    - SQLite database
    - Remote/cloud sync
    - Electron Store
    - Other: **\_\_\_**

19. **User data location:**
    - Application Support folder (standard OS location)
    - User documents folder
    - Custom location (user selectable)
    - Cloud storage integration

## Networking

20. **Network connectivity:**
    - Online-only (requires internet)
    - Offline-first (works without internet)
    - Hybrid (enhanced with internet)
    - No network needed

21. **Backend communication (if applicable):**
    - REST API
    - GraphQL
    - WebSocket
    - gRPC
    - Custom protocol
    - None

## Authentication and Security

22. **Authentication (if applicable):**
    - OAuth2 (Google, Microsoft, etc.)
    - Username/password with backend
    - SSO (enterprise)
    - OS-level authentication (biometric, Windows Hello)
    - No authentication needed

23. **Data security:**
    - Encrypt sensitive data at rest
    - OS keychain/credential manager
    - Custom encryption
    - No sensitive data

24. **Sandboxing:**
    - Fully sandboxed (Mac App Store requirement)
    - Partially sandboxed
    - Not sandboxed (legacy/compatibility)

## Performance and Resources

25. **Performance requirements:**
    - Lightweight (minimal resource usage)
    - Moderate (typical desktop app)
    - Resource-intensive (video editing, 3D, etc.)

26. **Background operation:**
    - Runs in background/system tray
    - Active window only
    - Can minimize to tray

27. **Multi-instance handling:**
    - Allow multiple instances
    - Single instance only
    - Single instance with IPC (communicate between instances)

## Development and Build

28. **Build tooling:**
    - electron-builder
    - electron-forge
    - Tauri CLI
    - .NET CLI
    - CMake (for C++/Qt)
    - Gradle (for Java)
    - Xcode (for macOS)
    - Visual Studio (for Windows)
    - Other: **\_\_\_**

29. **Development environment:**
    - Cross-platform dev (can build on any OS)
    - Platform-specific (need macOS for Mac builds, etc.)

30. **CI/CD for builds:**
    - GitHub Actions
    - GitLab CI
    - CircleCI
    - Azure Pipelines
    - Custom
    - Manual builds

## Testing

31. **UI testing approach:**
    - Spectron (Electron)
    - Playwright
    - Selenium
    - Native UI testing (XCTest, UI Automation)
    - Manual testing only

32. **End-to-end testing:**
    - Yes (automated E2E tests)
    - Limited (smoke tests only)
    - Manual only

## Additional Features

33. **Internationalization (i18n):**
    - Multiple languages supported
    - English only
    - User-selectable language
    - OS language detection

34. **Accessibility:**
    - Full accessibility support (screen readers, keyboard nav)
    - Basic accessibility
    - Not a priority

35. **Crash reporting:**
    - Sentry
    - BugSnag
    - Crashpad (for native crashes)
    - Custom reporting
    - None

36. **Analytics/Telemetry:**
    - Google Analytics
    - Mixpanel
    - PostHog
    - Custom telemetry
    - No telemetry (privacy-focused)

37. **Licensing/DRM (if commercial):**
    - License key validation
    - Hardware-locked licenses
    - Subscription validation
    - None (free/open-source)

38. **Plugin/Extension system:**
    - Yes (user can install plugins)
    - No (monolithic app)
    - Planned for future
