Re: [Manifest] Study on installable web apps

On 2/21/14 1:33 PM, ext Marcos Caceres wrote:
> ## Recommendations to implementers/W3C
> >From our findings, this is what we would recommend implementers and the W3C consider when standardizing this technology.
>
> * It has to be possible for users to follow hyperlinks in standalone applications. Even though iOS doesn't support this functionality, the data clearly shows developers rely on this core capability of the Web.
>
> * It needs to be possible to open some links in the system default browser: it doesn't make sense to open some links, like ads, within the application.
>
> * It has to be possible to open a browser window within the application: this is to allow OAuth style authentication (which are blocked from working in iframes).
>
> * It needs to be possible for the user to navigate "back". A significant number of a apps, unfortunately, leave users stranded without a way to "go back" in their browsing history. This is sometimes outside the developers control (e.g., an authentication screen at a different domain doesn't support going back). Having some ability to always go back seems critical to make this class of web application usable by the general public.
>
> * Do not expect, or encourage, developers to create single page applications. Some will, but they will likely do it wrong. Most everyone won't: it's too hard, unnecessary, and evidently error prone.
>
> * Don't expect applications will have good metadata or icons.
>
> * Automatically generated metadata and template engines will likely be an issue. A lot of sites don't seem to test (or might not even know) that their websites supports running as standalone.
>
> * To avoid the issue of UA-specific pop-up banners, a standard way to "install" an application is needed: either through and API and/or some declarative means.
>
> * It needs to be possible to be able to jump between web apps and native apps without requiring the developers to constantly save state. That is, leaving a standalone web application should work the same as jumping from one browser tab to another in a desktop browser.

Marcos - which items require standardization and which items are better 
left for implementation choices?

-Thanks, AB

Received on Tuesday, 25 February 2014 19:50:29 UTC