Re: [manifest] Define identity of a web app. (#272)

> Counter-counter-proposal: identity is managed by OS (as in each application is given a unique identifier - which they will get regardless by the OS when they get put on the home screen). A user agent can use a manifest as a guide to check if an application is already installed (or if something is in scope) - given what it knows about the (URL) provenance of the manifest and the last known values of the manifest. 

That sounds better.

This allows/consequences: 
> 2.1 breaking the dependence on permissions based on origin - giving management of the application's storage, permissions, etc. to the OS. iOS shows that this is possible and even desirable [1]. 

Is it therefore left up to the OS to determine to which URL scope the granted permissions apply? I assume that scope could provide a hint, but that the maximum scope of permissions should still be limited to the app's origin?

> 3. Updates to occur solely based on the manifest URL - and no identity being tied to URLs that can change in fun and unpredictable ways. 

So would it be fair to say that from the point of view of updates, the manifest URL does identify the app? It's just that for other purposes the OS may choose to use another identifier?

>4. very tight integration between OS and web browser. Again, I think that's fine - though it will likely be impossible for third-party browsers to support this "install" functionality... though these browsers may do other interesting things with a manifest, apart from installation (e.g., fancy speed dial cells, richer bookmarking, alternative "home screen").

Hopefully it should still possible for third party browsers to provide "install" functionality if the OS provides the necessary APIs to install things.

> 5. Figuring out whose scope wins when linking is left to the implementation (use last installed app, display a dialog allowing user to choose, etc.).

Sounds good.

FWIW I think that an implementer could choose to use manifest URL as an app identifier if it wanted to (like Firefox OS does), so far the requirement of multiple apps per manifest URL has never come up.

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