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I have been a dev for some years now, but I can't wrap my head around what exactly is a PWA.
For example, if an app runs on a mobile phone it is a native app. I can point to it and tell people that "look it is a native app."
In a similar sense, what is a PWA? Where does it run? Which app can I point to and tell that it is a PWA?
From what I have read on the web I feel that a PWA is a website that has modern technologies and gives a "native app like" experience to the user.
Is my understanding correct?
All in all, it is a website that has native-like experience? If so how does a user separate a normal website form a PWA?
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What is a progressive web app? A progressive web app is a kind of application software that's designed to work on standard browsers like Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge. Basically, PWAs look and feel like a "normal" app that you'd download to your phone or tablet.
The web is an incredible platform. Its mix of ubiquity across devices and operating systems, its user-centered security model, and the fact that neither its specification nor its implementation is controlled by a single company makes the web a unique platform to develop software on.
Web applications can reach anyone, anywhere, on any device with a single codebase. Platform-specific applications, are known for being incredibly rich and reliable. They're ever-present, on home screens, docks, and taskbars. They work regardless of network connection. They launch in their own standalone experience.
With the introduction of WebAssembly, developers can tap into other ecosystems, like C, C++, and Rust, and bring decades of work and capabilities to the web too. Squoosh.app, for instance, leverages this for its advanced image compression.
A PWA is a website with certain progressive features, most notably the ability to load offline or in areas with spotty connection, load quickly, display push notifications, and have other native app qualities. The benefits of a PWA is that they run on any browsers (since they're a normal website, if the browser doesn't support PWAs then the user gets a normal website experience), even desktop browsers. On mobile devices, the user will often get prompted to install the web app to the home screen, which happens almost instantaneously and uses barely any data since the website is already loaded. This allows for way more "downloads" than a native app, leading to higher engagement. For another brief overview of what a PWA, Google has some great articles about them.
Technically speaking, a PWA is a website that has two things: a web app manifest file and a service worker.
A manifest is a JSON file (usually called manifest.json) with some information about the progressive web app. It contains information similar to what you would include with a native app. It has the name, the short name for display on home screens, icons, orientation, etc. A web app manifest can be used on any site (even non-PWAs) to give the browser more information and allow the site to create a shortcut on the user's homescreen, but it's required for a PWA. You can read more about it over on the Google Developer's site.
A service worker is a JavaScript file that can be installed by the browser to do certain tasks. This file will be run in the background of the site and can do things like caching resources, intercepting network requests (to do stuff like return data from the cache), receiving push notifications, background synchronization, etc. When a user first visits your site this JS file gets installed and starts running. This is the file that allows for things like offline functionality. You can read more about service workers on the Google Developer's site as well.
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The concept of the progressive web app (PWA) was approached by Google in late 2015. They are basically web applications (Website) but have look and feel like other native mobile apps. The progressive web app enabled websites can offer functionalities such as working offline, push notifications, and device hardware access.
Benefits of the progressive web app:
1. Smaller and Faster: The progressive web apps are much smaller in size than native apps. They don’t even need to install. That’s they are not wasting disc space and load very fast.
2. Responsive Interface: Progressive web app (PWA) supported web pages are capable to fit in every screen sizes automatically. It could be a smartphone, tablet, desktop or laptop.
3. No Updates Required: Most of the mobile apps need regular weekly updates. Like the normal website, progressive web apps (PWA) are always loaded latest updated version whenever the user interaction happens and no App or Play Store approval required.
4. Cost Effective: Native mobile apps need to be developed for both Android and iOS devices separately and their development cost is very high. On the other hand, progressive web apps are had the same features but the fraction of the prior price.
5. SEO Advantage: Progressive web apps are discoverable by search engines and load super-fast. Just like other websites, their links are sharable too. This, in other words, gives good user experience and result in SEO rank boost.
6. Offline capabilities: Due to the support of service worker API, PWAs are accessible in offline or low internet connections.
7. Security: PWAs are delivered over HTTPS connection and secure user-data over each interaction.
8. Push Notifications: By the support of push notifications, PWAs can interact easily with the users and provide a really amazing user experience.
9. Bypass the app stores: PWAs don’t need the App store or Google play store support. Their updated version can be directly loaded from the web server without the requirement of app store approval. On the other hand, native apps need days of approval if any new update required. There are possibilities of getting rejected or banned.
10. Zero installation: During browsing, progressive web app gets its own icon on phones and tablets, just like a mobile application, but without the need to go through the tedious and slow App Store installation process.
Disadvantages of the progressive web app:
1. Less access to system features: Currently, Progressive Web Apps have limited access to native system features than native apps. Also, all browsers are not supporting its full features but maybe in near future, it will be the new standard of development.
2. More Android – Less Apple’s iOS: progressive web apps are currently, most supported by Android devices. Apple’s iOS is only partially supporting.
3. No review standard: progressive web apps don’t need any kind of review system which is applicable for native apps from the app store. It may make the process faster but lack of promotional benefits from the app store.
Progressive web app checklist: The checklist for the progressive web app is extensive. I have described its main few items here. 1. HTTPS 2. Web app manifest - manifest.json 3. Service worker 4. Responsive design 5. App icon 6. First load fast even on 3G
Conclusions: There are huge possibilities offered for the progressive web app. Although there are lots of features and browser adaptability expected in near future. But, whatever already exists in the market is enough to show a strong mobile presence.
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