Re: Summary of discussions so far

Isn't what you are asking for what the System Applications WG [1] is doing?

That's for standalone (not in a Web Browser) native like apps that use 
web technologies.  They would have a different security model and access 
to additional APIs that are not available in Web Browsers.

[1] http://www.w3.org/2012/sysapps/


On 3/28/2013 4:29 PM, Scott Jenson wrote:
> On Thu, Mar 28, 2013 at 6:28 AM, Dominique Hazael-Massieux <dom@w3.org 
> <mailto:dom@w3.org>> wrote:
>
>
>     Web apps user experience
>     ------------------------
>     Most users currently have different mental models for Web sites and
>     mobile apps, and some of these differences are also currently very
>     strongly reinforced by the underlying operating systems.
>
>     Making it possible for a Web app to run more like a mobile app would
>     help make Web apps easier to integrate in the user workflow (e.g. app
>     switching), but this comes as a trade off with some other aspects that
>     users appreciate in Web apps (shared logins, browseability, easy to
>     discard, etc.). The Sysapps runtime spec dives into some of these
>     considerations.
>
>     Here again, it's not clear yet what W3C can do help; it was suggested
>     that documenting the ideal "Web app UX" would be useful; the need
>     for an
>     interoperable identity system à la BrowserID/Personna was also
>     highlighted as a possible way to reduce the friction that emerge from
>     isolating a Web app from the browser; and that a Web-Intents-like
>     ecosystem in general would help make Web apps flow better one with
>     another.
>
>
> This indeed is a difficult issue. I expect it will be filled with 
> strong emotions. My point is that, sometimes, you just want a focused 
> app like experience. No web, no links, no back: just a simple app. 
> This really is from the users point of view not the DOMs: if we really 
> want to 'catch up' then *acting* like an app needs to be part of 
> discussion. Much like we have links with target=_blank, I'd like to 
> consider something in the header/manifest that marks the page as an 
> app, that marks it to have new behaviors outside of the classic 
> browser. This keeps everything 'the web' by default but allows for 
> this new experience on demand. Things to consider would be:
> 1) App level window navigation (i.e. it is seen as it's own app 
> outside of the browser)
> 2) Minimal chrome so app goes full screen
> 3) Possible tie ins to the Network optimizations so background data 
> can be triggered
> 4) Access to notifications, etc.
>
> I expect there will be strong reactions to this approach and there are 
> clearly edge cases (like what happens if you *do* click on a link) 
> that need further discussion. I will also completely admit that I have 
> little API/standards experience and some of my suggestions may have 
> deeply flawed assumptions that just won't work. If so, I'm happy to 
> discuss better/safer alternatives.
>
> My basic point is that we are sticking our head in the sand if we want 
> to 'be more like apps' but then insist on acting like a scrolling 
> document window festooned with a 'command line' (URL bar) at the top 
> of every page. We can't have it both ways.
>
> Scott