If you mean why I choose ElectronJS: I wanted it be cross-platform, and ElectronJS was the easiest (partly because I already built and been using the main feature).

If you mean why a desktop app: I've been using some web-based tools. Somehow, they don't last (ie. namemesh, or domainsfortherestofus that @pwdisswordfish8 mention went offline for sometimes).

Then I thought having a desktop app would be great. For long term, you don't have to worry the site is down.

Thanks for thinking about the longevity of your application!

Also I assume you do WHOIS queries for availability checks right? The protocol doesn't work over HTTP in browsers.

You're correct. ElectronJS support Nodejs, and that's where the functions perform

If it’s javascript-only, then surely it could run in the client and be hosted for free on github pages as a static site and not have to worry about going down.

It needs a backend running. Not only client JS code, there is NodeJS as well

What if the site goes down before you visit/load the site?

For a static site you can still download a local copy from GitHub if you wish. It'll be delivered as a .zip if you do it from the browser.

You mean if the site is hosted on GH Pages or something? And in this scenario, the site hosted by GitHub goes down, so then I go to GitHub (which is down remember) and download the site, and use it locally, is that what you’re saying?

Cmon man, let’s try to be realistic.

Yes, hosted on github pages. That’s what I said in my comment: hosted for free on github pages as a static site.

If GH pages goes down, you wait for it to come back. The point is that GH pages won’t disappear because of passage of time (ie you forget to pay hosting bill or something). It doesn’t guarantee 100% uptime but it doesn’t have to. The desktop download doesn’t guarantee 100% availability either.

If the tool is that critical to your workflow, you save it offline or host it on a redundant location (there are many free static site hosting services available: cloudflare worker sites, digitalocean apps, S3 — take your pick, maybe one has the uptime guarantees you desire, GH was just an example. Or host it in multiple)

So basically use the local application while you wait for GH pages to come back. Gotcha. 99% of people aren’t going to be downloading some GH pages site in case the site goes down….