DEV Community

Cover image for Xplorer, a modern File Explorer that was written using TypeScript, has its performance improved on the recent release

Xplorer, a modern File Explorer that was written using TypeScript, has its performance improved on the recent release

Justin Maximillian Kimlim on November 22, 2021

Hello devs! About two months ago, I released the first version of Xplorer and wrote a post about it which makes both of the blog and the reposit...
Collapse
 
marflage profile image
Marflage

Awesome. I will surely check it out

One question: you mentioned you used Rust for backend to use file operations. I am not sure I understand it properly. Does not Typescript support file IO? Node does so perhaps Typescript does too. Also, what is the use of a backend here? I only think of backends as http servers. This question is because of my little experience with professional development.
Thanks!

Collapse
 
shivarajnaidu profile image
yuvaraj • Edited

Backend means not http here..

Instead the the code that do operarions related to file read deletion other files ops written using rust

And http is not the onlyn way to comunicate between programs .. we have IPC mechanisms those are very faster than http for programs running in the same system.

And regarding typescript file reading..
Rust is definitely faster and safer than nodejs so tbey decided for that .

As we will have alot of file ops here..

Hope this answers your quries..

Collapse
 
marflage profile image
Marflage

Thanks for the reply. Yes, it does answer my question. Just one thing though: regarding IPC mechanisms, do you mean like MPI and socket-based communication but on the same machine?

Thread Thread
 
kimlimjustin profile image
Justin Maximillian Kimlim

It's something like that, basically when user want to operate something, ex opening a folder, the typescript code send a message to the rust code to open that folder return the information of the files inside the folder to the typescript then typescript is in charge to display it on the webview.

Hope this answers your question.

Thread Thread
 
marflage profile image
Marflage

Now all the confusions have been cleared up. Thanks!

Collapse
 
cavo789 profile image
Christophe Avonture • Edited

Did you know that XYplorer is an existing name for such tool: xyplorer.com/. That application exists since 1997. When I first read your post, I thought of this software.

Collapse
 
kimlimjustin profile image
Justin Maximillian Kimlim

I didn't know that existed, Xplorer is the name I randomly picked it when trying to thinking about a name of the File Explorer, and suddenly thought that Explorer without "E" is still read as "Explorer", so I picked Xplorer.

Collapse
 
cavo789 profile image
Christophe Avonture

Make sense. Was just for information and because I've read your subject too fast 😉 I use then mentionned one since years.

Collapse
 
danielo515 profile image
Daniel Rodríguez Rivero

What are you talking about? XYP is not the same as just XP
There are many many brands that differ just in one letter, so your argument doesn't apply

Collapse
 
cavo789 profile image
Christophe Avonture

Which argument ? 😉 I was just giving information and said I had read the subject too quickly and mistakenly thought it was the tool I was using. I did not make any judgement or presume anything.

Thread Thread
 
kimlimjustin profile image
Justin Maximillian Kimlim

Ah maybe he thought you said I take over the name or smth like that, but yeah, it's completely my own idea of Xplorer name, anyways, thanks tho for letting me know

Thread Thread
 
danielo515 profile image
Daniel Rodríguez Rivero

Then it is obvious that I made the same mistake as you did and read your message to quickly. My apologies

Collapse
 
uahnbu profile image
uahnbu

Really glad to hear that Xplorer has just migrated to Tauri. Performance is better than the current UWP app I'm using. Some more adjustments to the UI/UX will make the app dormant and I'd definitely set it as the default explorer.

Collapse
 
uahnbu profile image
uahnbu

My primitive benchmark says that Xplorer uses 5% of CPU less than the UWP app (50% less), but 10MB more memory (10% more), as the same folder is opened.

Collapse
 
therealokoro profile image
Okoro Redemption

Smashing!!🔥🔥🔥