Re: [w3c/manifest] Change the default value for start_url (#670)

Like my previous comment said, I haven't been keeping up with this space and @philloooo and @dmurph should weigh in on it.

> Ok, conflict we have here now is that both Safari and Firefox derive the start URL from document URL.

And Chrome.

This change is not about changing Safari and Firefox to be aligned with Chrome. This is about changing Safari, Firefox and Chrome to have reliable behaviour.

From memory, the problem is that document URL isn't stable. It means that if you have a manifest without an explicit `start_url`, then you essentially don't know what the start URL is going to be when the app is installed, because it will depend on which page the user was on when they clicked the install button. You don't really have an app... you just have an ability to install whatever web page you happen to be on at the time.

My argument is that if the spec (basically) says "if `start_url` is omitted, then the site has no control over the installed app's start URL", then there is no contract established between the site and the user agent here. The site cannot expect any particular URL is the start URL, therefore, if the user agent changes the default, it isn't violating any expectation or contract. Therefore, it's safe to change the spec from "no guarantees" to "this is the behaviour", as long as all vendors are willing to change.

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Received on Monday, 9 August 2021 06:38:08 UTC