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Can't you just use ServiceWorkers in a regular webpage? Seems like you can. That would allow you to have an offline persistent website while still using a web

Can't you just use ServiceWorkers in a regular webpage? Seems like you can. That would allow you to have an offline persistent website while still using a webpage. https://caniuse.com/#feat=serviceworkers https://caniuse.com/#feat=serviceworkers

Technetium_Hat 8y ago
So the thing that makes a site a PWA in your eyes is the "add $app to your homescreen" prompt? Because I would view any site that works offline, beyond http/s caching, to be a PWA.
- NightlyDev 8y ago
  The definition of a PWA is a page that uses features like add to homescreen, service workers... or push notifications. It doesn't have to use this and the browser doesn't have to support it. PWA will progressively use such features when they are supported, and that's where the name comes from. If a page requires these things to function then it's not a PWA.
osrec 8y ago
There seems to be a few misconceptions around what is and what isn't a PWA. A PWA (in my opinion) is simply a website that makes use of certain browser features (e.g. service workers, push notifications, manifests). It's a bad definition, with a lot of grey areas, but it is what it is (and let's face it, definitions in web development are often hard to pin down). For example, we built https://usebx.com/app https://usebx.com/app with plain old HTML, JavaScript and CSS. Yet, it can be installed on your phone, send you push notifications and even works offline. So I would categorise it as a PWA rather than a website. My point is, if you're using service workers, you're more a PWA than a standard website.
- dkrikun 8y ago
  gj using plain old js+html, very nice))
  - osrec 8y ago
    Thank you!
untog 8y ago
That would make it a Progressive Web App, by most definitions. It's kind of a vague term, but IMO anything using service workers to serve content offline is a PWA. (but I also avoid using the term for exactly this reason)

Technetium_Hat 8y ago

So the thing that makes a site a PWA in your eyes is the "add $app to your homescreen" prompt? Because I would view any site that works offline, beyond http/s caching, to be a PWA.

NightlyDev 8y ago
The definition of a PWA is a page that uses features like add to homescreen, service workers... or push notifications. It doesn't have to use this and the browser doesn't have to support it. PWA will progressively use such features when they are supported, and that's where the name comes from. If a page requires these things to function then it's not a PWA.

osrec 8y ago

There seems to be a few misconceptions around what is and what isn't a PWA. A PWA (in my opinion) is simply a website that makes use of certain browser features (e.g. service workers, push notifications, manifests). It's a bad definition, with a lot of grey areas, but it is what it is (and let's face it, definitions in web development are often hard to pin down). For example, we built https://usebx.com/app https://usebx.com/app with plain old HTML, JavaScript and CSS. Yet, it can be installed on your phone, send you push notifications and even works offline. So I would categorise it as a PWA rather than a website. My point is, if you're using service workers, you're more a PWA than a standard website.

dkrikun 8y ago
gj using plain old js+html, very nice))
- osrec 8y ago
  Thank you!

untog 8y ago

That would make it a Progressive Web App, by most definitions. It's kind of a vague term, but IMO anything using service workers to serve content offline is a PWA. (but I also avoid using the term for exactly this reason)