Migrate from 0.12 to 0.13 {: doctitle}

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[TOC]

Architecture Changes

• NW.js application is running as a Chrome App internally. All chrome.* platform APIs and features can be used in NW application now. The default protocol is changed from file:// to chrome-extension://, where the host part of the URL is the generated id. The app:// protocol in 0.12 is replaced by chrome-extension:// protocol.
• All NW specific APIs, including require() is moved into a nw object from the nw.gui library. However, we provided a builtin wrapper library to provide compatibility for 0.12 apps. You can use nw.gui library for some time before we deprecate it in 0.14 or later.
• The Node.js context is put in the DOM context of the background page, which is shared between opening windows as in 0.12 and before. The difference is you have access to all DOM features and chrome.* platform APIs in the Node context in 0.13.
• To debug Node.js modules, you have to open DevTools for background page in Separate Context Mode by default. See [Debugging with DevTools](../Debugging with DevTools.md) for details.
• The entry of the application is either JS or HTML as in 0.12, but as the application is internally a Chrome App, the first window is supposed to be launched by JS from the background page. If you specify a HTML file as the entry with "main" field in package.json, NW will use a default JS to open the first window and load it.
• If NW.js is running under [Mixed Context Mode](../Advanced/JavaScript Contexts in NW.js.md#mixed-context-mode) (boot NW.js with --mixed-context argument), nw.* is kind of mirror of window.*. In this mode, you CANNOT share variables among frames or windows by assigning it to Node context. So do NOT turn on Mixed Context mode if your application is heavily depending on this variable sharing feature.

Node.js Changes

• Node.js is bumped to 6.x in latest build. Check your NPM modules to make sure they support Node.js 6.x especially for native modules. There is a list of native modules which should be migrated to latest NaN 2.
• Add NW version information to process.versions[nw]. process.versions[node-webkit] will be deprecated later.

API Changes

Build Flavors

• Different build flavors support different set of APIs and capabilities. See [Build Flavors](../Advanced/Build Flavors.md) to choose the right NW.js flavor or [build your own](../../For Developers/Building NW.js.md).

Shorcut

• Shortcut API does NOT map <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> modifier to <kbd>⌘</kbd> on Mac OS X. However 0.13.0 supports Command modifier in cross platform way. So it's your responsible to detect the OS and choose the right modifier when registering hotkeys. See Shortcut.key for details.

Menu

• Menus on Mac is created with default menubar, including app-name, Edit and Window, instead of minimal menubar in 0.12.
• To fix the name of application menu, you will need to modify nwjs.app/Contents/Resources/en.lproj/InfoPlist.strings instead of nwjs.app/Contents/Info.plist. See [Customize Menubar](../Advanced/Customize Menubar.md#mac-os-x).

Manifest Format

• [single-instance](../../References/Manifest Format.md#single-instance) is deprecated and it's always true. You CANNOT have multiple instances for your app unless you're using different user data directory (by --user-data-dir). You may also want to use the open event: the first instance will be notified with this event when user tries to launch the second instance.
• [toolbar](../../References/Manifest Format.md#toolbar) is deprecated and it's always false. The traditional toolbar will NOT be supported including the reload buttons, location bar and DevTools buttons. As a workaround, you can open / close DevTools with <kbd>F12</kbd> (Windows & Linux) or <kbd>⌘</kbd>+<kbd>⌥</kbd>+<kbd>i</kbd> (Mac). And use win.reload() and win.reloadDev() to simulate the reload buttons.
• [no-edit-menu](../../References/Manifest Format.md#no-edit-menu-mac) is deprecated.
• snapshot is deprecated. Use win.evalNWBin() instead.
• The format of [node-remote](../../References/Manifest Format.md#node-remote) is changed to array of match patterns used by Chrome extension.
• Window options always-on-top, visible-on-all-workspaces, new-instance, inject-js-start and inject-js-end is renamed to [always_on_top](../../References/Manifest Format.md#always_on_top), [visible_on_all_workspaces](../../References/Manifest Format.md#visible_on_all_workspaces-mac-linux), new_instance, inject_js_start and inject_js_end respectively in package.json or as argument of Window.open().
• --data-path command line argument is replaced by --user-data-dir.

Window

• There is an id to identify each window. This will be used to remember the size and position of the window and restore that geometry when a window with the same id is later opened. It could be specified in Window.open or [id of window subfields in manifest](../../References/Manifest Format.md#id)
• Event capturepagedone of Window API is deprecated.Use the callback with the win.capturePage(callback [, config ]) instead.
• Window.open is changed to passing the created window as the argument of the callback.
• Window.showDevtools is changed to passing the created window as the argument of the callback.
• win.setTransparent is deprecated. You can't change the transparency after window is created.
• unmaximize and leave-fullscreen events of Window object is deprecated and replaced by restore. When window is restored from minimized, maximized or fullscreen, restore event is triggered instead.
• Window options always-on-top and visible-on-all-workspaces is renamed to [always_on_top](../../References/Manifest Format.md#always_on_top) and [visible_on_all_workspaces](../../References/Manifest Format.md#visible_on_all_workspaces-mac-linux) respectively in package.json or as argument of Window.open().
• Window is not inherited from EventEmitter anymore, but the methods on(), once(), removeListener() and removeAllListeners() are still supported.

Screen

• The id obtained by added, orderchanged, namechanged, thumbnailchanged should be registered and use the stream id returned by registerStream(id) before passing to getUserMedia. See Synopsis for the usage.

Known issues

• The following window options passed to nw.Window.open() is not effective on Linux: resizable for now; try to set them in the callback.
• reloadDev() of nw.Window is not supported for now
• closed event of nw.Window: App.quit() doesn't trigger this event.
• devtools-closed event of nw.Window is not supported for now.
• as_desktop option is not supported for now
• webkit.{plugin|java|page-cache} option in package.json is not supported for now: plugins are enabled by default.
• nwUserAgent attribute of <iframe> is not supported for now.
• tooltip of MenuItem is not supported for now.
• nw.App.setCrashDumpDir() is not supported; crash dump is stored in app-data-path/Crash Reports