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

On January 14, 2015 at 12:17:49 AM, Janusz Majnert (notifications@github.com) wrote:
> > If defining the identity of a web app is outside the scope of the "Manifest for web applications"  
> specification, then where should it be defined instead? It seems like an important thing  
> to standardise and I'd like to have that conversation.
>  
> What I'm saying is that I just don't see how manifest URL could be an app identifier when:  
> * multiple manifests may have the same URL (dynamically chosen based on HTTP headers  
> etc)
> * multiple apps can use the same manifest hosted at the same URL
> * the manifest itself doesn't have to point to a `start_url` and even if it does, it is just  
> a hint for the UA, which may choose to ignore it. So it doesn't even need to tell the UA how  
> to "start" the application
>  
> All of the above things are features of the manifest that make it a supplementary source  
> of information, but not a defining entity.

Agree. These kinds of URLs are not suitable identifiers for this purpose. IMO, best to just have the system identify an app for itself however it wants. 

> > Surely a manifest for a different app is a different resource and therefore by definition  
> should have a different URL?
>  
> Not necessarily. An author may wish to create many apps and provide just one manifest  
> to indicate the authorship, CSP policy, and other "common" data.

Just a clarification: we don't do CSP through the manifest for web apps; though it could be useful for packaged apps.  
   
> Having said that, I agree that having a web-wide identifier for apps would be a big win.  
> Just not sure that the manifest, as currently drafted is a good basis for that.

The humble URL + having scope is "good enough", IMO. It covers the 80% use case, if not more.

 

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