Tutorials

import { LinkButton } from '@astrojs/starlight/components'; import { Image } from 'astro:assets'; import qr1 from "../../../assets/qr1.png"; import todoApp from "../../../assets/todo-app.png"; import notesApp from "../../../assets/notes-app.png";

Step-by-step tutorials that teach Wails concepts by building complete applications. Each tutorial includes working code, explanations, and practical patterns.

:::tip[New to Go?] Complete the Go Tour before starting tutorials. :::

QR Code Service

<Image src={qr1} alt="QR Code Example" style="max-width: 400px; margin: 1rem auto; display: block;" />

Learn the fundamentals of Wails services by building a QR code generator. This tutorial introduces you to the core concepts of organizing your application logic into reusable services.

What you'll learn:

• How to create and structure a Wails service
• Managing external Go dependencies
• Binding Go methods to your frontend
• Passing data between Go and JavaScript
• Organizing code for maintainability

Best for: First-time Wails users who want to understand the service architecture

<div style="text-align: center; margin-top: 1rem;"> <LinkButton href="/tutorials/01-creating-a-service" variant="secondary" icon="right-arrow">Get Started</LinkButton> </div>

---

TODO List

<Image src={todoApp} alt="TODO List Application" style="max-width: 400px; margin: 1rem auto; display: block;" />

Build a complete TODO list application with a beautiful, modern interface. This hands-on tutorial teaches you core Wails patterns through a practical, real-world application using vanilla JavaScript.

What you'll learn:

• Service-based architecture with thread-safe state management
• CRUD operations (Create, Read, Update, Delete)
• Type-safe bindings between Go and JavaScript
• Building modern UIs without framework complexity
• Proper error handling and validation patterns

Time to complete: ~20 minutes

Best for: Your first complete Wails application - perfect for understanding the fundamentals before adding framework complexity

<div style="text-align: center; margin-top: 1rem;"> <LinkButton href="/tutorials/02-todo-vanilla" variant="secondary" icon="right-arrow">Get Started</LinkButton> </div>

---

Notes

<Image src={notesApp} alt="Notes Application" style="max-width: 600px; margin: 1rem auto; display: block;" />

Build an Apple Notes-style application with native file dialogs and auto-save functionality. This tutorial demonstrates desktop-specific features like file operations, native dialogs, and professional UI patterns.

What you'll learn:

• Native file dialogs (Save, Open, Info)
• JSON-based data persistence
• Debounced auto-save patterns
• Professional two-column desktop layouts
• Working with file system operations in Go

Time to complete: ~30 minutes

Best for: Learning desktop-specific features like file operations and native OS dialogs

<div style="text-align: center; margin-top: 1rem;"> <LinkButton href="/tutorials/03-notes-vanilla" variant="secondary" icon="right-arrow">Get Started</LinkButton> </div>

---

Self-Updating Wails App

Add in-app self-updates to a Wails application from a fresh wails3 init through signed release verification and the helper-mode binary swap. Uses GitHub Releases as the update source.

What you'll learn:

• How app.Updater plugs into a Wails app
• Configuring the GitHub Releases provider
• Publishing releases with SHA256SUMS for digest verification
• Adding Ed25519 signing for tamper-resistance
• Customising the default window via CSS, custom HTML, or BYO
• Periodic background checks with CheckInterval

Time to complete: ~25 minutes

Best for: Shipping an updateable desktop app — covers the full release pipeline, not just the API

<div style="text-align: center; margin-top: 1rem;"> <LinkButton href="/tutorials/04-self-update-a-wails-app" variant="secondary" icon="right-arrow">Get Started</LinkButton> </div>