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Multi-Target Builds#

New in jac-client: Build your Jac application for multiple platforms from a single codebase!

Jac now supports building your application for different targets - web browsers, desktop applications, and more. Write your code once, deploy everywhere.

What are Multi-Target Builds?#

Multi-target builds allow you to compile the same Jac codebase for different platforms:

  • Web: Browser-based applications (default)
  • Desktop: Native desktop applications using Tauri
  • Mobile: Coming soon (Android, iOS)

Each target uses the same Jac code, but produces platform-specific outputs optimized for that environment.

Quick Start#

Web Target (Default)#

The web target requires no setup and works out of the box:

# Build for web
jac build main.jac --client web

# Or simply (web is default)
jac build main.jac

# Start dev server
jac start main.jac --dev

Desktop Target#

Desktop builds create native applications:

# 1. One-time setup
jac setup desktop

# 2. Build for desktop
jac build main.jac --client desktop

# 3. Start in dev mode (hot reload)
jac start main.jac --client desktop --dev

Why Multi-Target Builds?#

Single Codebase, Multiple Platforms#

Write your application once in Jac, then build for:

  • Web browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
  • Desktop (Windows, macOS, Linux)
  • Mobile (coming soon)

Consistent Experience#

  • Same language (Jac) across all platforms
  • Same APIs and patterns
  • Same development workflow

Easy Distribution#

  • Web: Deploy to any web server
  • Desktop: Create installers (.exe, .dmg, .AppImage)
  • Mobile: Create app packages (.apk, .ipa)

Target Comparison#

Feature Web Desktop
Setup Required No Yes (jac setup desktop)
Build Command jac build jac build --client desktop
Dev Command jac start --dev jac start --client desktop --dev
Output .jac/client/dist/ Installer (.exe, .dmg, .AppImage)
Distribution Web server Installer file
Hot Reload ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
Native Features ❌ Limited ✅ Full access

Getting Started#

For Web Applications#

If you're building a web app, you don't need to do anything special:

# Create a new project
jac create --use client my-app

# Start developing
jac start main.jac --dev

# Build for production
jac build main.jac

For Desktop Applications#

To add desktop support to your project:

# Setup desktop target (one-time)
jac setup desktop

# Develop with hot reload
jac start main.jac --client desktop --dev

# Build installer
jac build main.jac --client desktop

Next Steps#

FAQ#

Q: Can I use the same codebase for web and desktop? A: Yes! The same Jac code works for both targets. The build system handles the differences.

Q: Do I need separate builds for each platform? A: For production, yes. Use --platform flag to build for specific platforms. For development, Tauri automatically uses your current platform.

Q: Will adding desktop support break my web app? A: No! Web remains the default target with zero breaking changes.

Q: Can I test my desktop app before building? A: Yes! Use jac start main.jac --client desktop --dev for hot reload development.

Q: How do I distribute my desktop app? A: After building with jac build --client desktop, distribute the installer files from src-tauri/target/release/bundle/.

Happy building! 🚀