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wtf is tinyjsapp-examples?

tarwin/tinyjsapp-examples — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-05-18

0JavaScriptAudience · vibe coderComplexity · 2/5Setup · easy

TL;DR

A collection of tiny (around 6MB) example macOS desktop apps, from a Slack-style chat clone to playful animated desktop toys, all built with the tinyjs toolkit.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((tinyjs examples))
    What it does
      Example macOS apps
      Built with tinyjs
      Native WebKit window
    Tech stack
      JavaScript
      txiki.js backend
      WebKit
    Use cases
      Learn tinyjs API
      Try prebuilt tiny apps
      Menu bar utilities
      Desktop toys
    Audience
      Vibe coders
      Mac tinkerers
      JavaScript developers

Code map

Detail Auto

An interactive map of this repo's files and how they connect — its source is parsed live in your browser. Click Visualize to build it.

filefunction / class

Why would anyone build with this?

REASON 1

Download a ready made tiny Mac app like a clipboard history tool or world clock without installing any dev tools.

REASON 2

Clone an example project as a starting point for your own tinyjs desktop app.

REASON 3

Explore the Kitchen Sink example to see thirteen tinyjs capabilities demonstrated in one app.

REASON 4

Learn how to package a small JavaScript app as a native, signed macOS app.

What's in the stack?

JavaScripttinyjstxiki.jsWebKit

How it stacks up

tarwin/tinyjsapp-examples00kaku/gallery-slider-block3rd-eden/ircb.io
Stars0
LanguageJavaScriptJavaScriptJavaScript
Last pushed2021-05-192016-11-16
MaintenanceDormantDormant
Setup difficultyeasyeasyeasy
Complexity2/52/52/5
Audiencevibe codergeneraldeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you spin it up?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

Prebuilt signed .dmg installers are available for every example, so no toolchain is required to try them.

No license information was found in the README.

Wtf does this do

This repository is a collection of example apps built with tinyjs, a toolkit for making very small macOS desktop apps, each one only around six megabytes. The apps are built from a lightweight JavaScript backend paired with the Mac's own native WebKit window, so no bulky browser engine gets bundled inside. To try any example, you install the tinyjs command line tool, clone this repository, then move into one of the example folders and run a command to start it with live reloading, or another command to build a finished app. Every example is self contained, with its own configuration file, a backend script, and a frontend folder for the interface. If you do not want to set up any tools at all, each example also has a ready made, signed and verified installer file you can download, open, and drag into your Applications folder. The examples themselves cover a wide range of small, playful desktop tools. Shelf works like a little app store for the whole collection, letting you install, update, and remove any of the other examples with one click. Kitchen Sink is a demo deck showing off thirteen different capabilities of tinyjs at once, including file access, network requests, GPU access, window and tray control, and hardware features like battery status and haptics. Tinyslaq is a small clone of a Slack style chat app with workspaces and channels. Matcha keeps your Mac from going to sleep with a click on a menu bar icon. Tomato is a playful countdown timer shaped like a tomato that floats on your screen. Worldclock shows the time in several cities from the menu bar. Lumber follows a log file live in a floating panel. Several other examples are small desktop animals and objects, like a shy ghost that flees your cursor, animated ravens and pigeons that wander the screen, and swinging air freshener charms, alongside a simple Markdown note editor and a clipboard history tool. Together, these examples act as a hands on introduction to what tinyjs can do, showing both practical tools and lighthearted desktop toys built the same way.

Yoink these prompts

Prompt 1
Help me set up the tinyjs CLI and run the kitchen-sink example with hot reload.
Prompt 2
Explain how the shelf example works as an app store for the other tinyjs examples.
Prompt 3
Show me how to turn one of these tinyjs examples into my own menu bar app.
Prompt 4
Help me understand the folder structure of a tinyjs example project.

Frequently asked questions

wtf is tinyjsapp-examples?

A collection of tiny (around 6MB) example macOS desktop apps, from a Slack-style chat clone to playful animated desktop toys, all built with the tinyjs toolkit.

What language is tinyjsapp-examples written in?

Mainly JavaScript. The stack also includes JavaScript, tinyjs, txiki.js.

What license does tinyjsapp-examples use?

No license information was found in the README.

How hard is tinyjsapp-examples to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 5min to a first successful run.

Who is tinyjsapp-examples for?

Mainly vibe coder.

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