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The apps are hosted by the publisher. You can also create a fully offline installable app, which is all the files of the app plus a manifest in a ZIP package.

by isani 16y ago

asnyder 16y ago
This is so distressing, it really is the return of desktop apps. So much for all the progress we've made, it feels like we're going backwards 10 years. I've been meaning to write a blog post on this for over a year now, maybe this will motivate me.
- cryptoz 16y ago
  Do you care to elaborate now? What about this situation makes you feel like we're going backwards? What announcement would have made you feel like part of the future, if not this?
  - asnyder 16y ago
    No, I unfortunately can't elaborate properly now. Once things calm down this week I'll be able to put together a reasoned blog post. Hopefully you'll vote it up when you see it. But to be unfairly brief, anything that requires a download to run offline, or requires publishers to "upload" their apps is a step backwards. Since all that entails is literally running a desktop app. There's nothing there that couldn't be done 10 years ago, the only difference is that the apps have to be written in web technologies or not, using NativeClient. In my mind this is a step backwards, and essentially an unnecessary end run around the web solely for the purposes of monetization. I'll fully elaborate in an upcoming blog post tentatively titled "1 step forward, 2 steps back".
    - sukuriant 16y ago
      If you don't download something, how can you have it to run it offline? If a publisher doesn't put a file in a globally reachable location, how do others acquire it?
      - asnyder 16y ago
        As mentioned previously, I unfortunately don't have the time to elaborate now, look for that blog post I mentioned within the next week or so to answer your question.
      - panarky 16y ago
        Here's more info on how the 'installable apps' work: http://code.google.com/chrome/apps/ http://code.google.com/chrome/apps/ "Many installable web apps are hosted apps—normal websites with a bit of extra metadata. You can build and deploy hosted apps exactly as you would build and deploy any web app, using any server-side or client-side technologies you like. The only difference is that you must provide a small manifest file that describes the app. If you want your app to work especially well offline or to be tightly integrated with the Google Chrome browser, you can create a packaged app. A packaged app is just a web app that the user downloads. Packaged apps have the option of using the Google Chrome Extension APIs, allowing packaged apps to change the way Chrome behaves or looks."
  - johnrob 16y ago
    It's backwards because, if this trend continues, every publisher is going to be supporting x different versions of y different platforms. iOS 2,3,4 + android 1,2 + chrome + mozilla ... etc. Standard web development has it's own support problem (browser discrepancies). But that pales in comparison to what supporting all of these store platforms would be like.
- panarky 16y ago
  I see these apps more as browser extensions than as standalone, downloaded applications. I want Firebug installed locally in Firefox (or better yet integrated directly into the browser like Chrome does). I don't want to download a bunch of Javascript every time. Here's the developer guide for more on how it works under the covers: http://code.google.com/chrome/apps/docs/index.html http://code.google.com/chrome/apps/docs/index.html
mlinsey 16y ago
Can you point out an example of an offline app in the current store? All the apps I've tried so far seem to literally just be an icon + link to a website on my start page.
- dchest 16y ago
  Write Space - https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/aimodnlfiikjjnmdchihablmkdeobhad https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/aimodnlfiikjjnmdch... Stickies - https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/obcojdaihjmblkmodnkaidacoffgmnpf https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/obcojdaihjmblkmodn...
- joel_liu 16y ago
  We developed two package app: Read later fast https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/decdfngdidijkdjgbknlnepdljfaepji https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/decdfngdidijkdjgbk... Quick Note: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/mijlebbfndhelmdpmllgcfadlkankhok https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/mijlebbfndhelmdpml...

The apps are hosted by the publisher. You can also create a fully offline installable app, which is all the files of the app plus a manifest in a ZIP package.

by isani 16y ago

The apps are hosted by the publisher. You can also create a fully offline installable app, which is all the files of the app plus a manifest in a ZIP package.

asnyder 16y ago

This is so distressing, it really is the return of desktop apps. So much for all the progress we've made, it feels like we're going backwards 10 years. I've been meaning to write a blog post on this for over a year now, maybe this will motivate me.

cryptoz 16y ago
Do you care to elaborate now? What about this situation makes you feel like we're going backwards? What announcement would have made you feel like part of the future, if not this?
- asnyder 16y ago
  No, I unfortunately can't elaborate properly now. Once things calm down this week I'll be able to put together a reasoned blog post. Hopefully you'll vote it up when you see it. But to be unfairly brief, anything that requires a download to run offline, or requires publishers to "upload" their apps is a step backwards. Since all that entails is literally running a desktop app. There's nothing there that couldn't be done 10 years ago, the only difference is that the apps have to be written in web technologies or not, using NativeClient. In my mind this is a step backwards, and essentially an unnecessary end run around the web solely for the purposes of monetization. I'll fully elaborate in an upcoming blog post tentatively titled "1 step forward, 2 steps back".
  - sukuriant 16y ago
    If you don't download something, how can you have it to run it offline? If a publisher doesn't put a file in a globally reachable location, how do others acquire it?
    - asnyder 16y ago
      As mentioned previously, I unfortunately don't have the time to elaborate now, look for that blog post I mentioned within the next week or so to answer your question.
    - panarky 16y ago
      Here's more info on how the 'installable apps' work: http://code.google.com/chrome/apps/ http://code.google.com/chrome/apps/ "Many installable web apps are hosted apps—normal websites with a bit of extra metadata. You can build and deploy hosted apps exactly as you would build and deploy any web app, using any server-side or client-side technologies you like. The only difference is that you must provide a small manifest file that describes the app. If you want your app to work especially well offline or to be tightly integrated with the Google Chrome browser, you can create a packaged app. A packaged app is just a web app that the user downloads. Packaged apps have the option of using the Google Chrome Extension APIs, allowing packaged apps to change the way Chrome behaves or looks."
- johnrob 16y ago
  It's backwards because, if this trend continues, every publisher is going to be supporting x different versions of y different platforms. iOS 2,3,4 + android 1,2 + chrome + mozilla ... etc. Standard web development has it's own support problem (browser discrepancies). But that pales in comparison to what supporting all of these store platforms would be like.
panarky 16y ago
I see these apps more as browser extensions than as standalone, downloaded applications. I want Firebug installed locally in Firefox (or better yet integrated directly into the browser like Chrome does). I don't want to download a bunch of Javascript every time. Here's the developer guide for more on how it works under the covers: http://code.google.com/chrome/apps/docs/index.html http://code.google.com/chrome/apps/docs/index.html

mlinsey 16y ago

Can you point out an example of an offline app in the current store? All the apps I've tried so far seem to literally just be an icon + link to a website on my start page.

dchest 16y ago
Write Space - https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/aimodnlfiikjjnmdchihablmkdeobhad https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/aimodnlfiikjjnmdch... Stickies - https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/obcojdaihjmblkmodnkaidacoffgmnpf https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/obcojdaihjmblkmodn...
joel_liu 16y ago
We developed two package app: Read later fast https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/decdfngdidijkdjgbknlnepdljfaepji https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/decdfngdidijkdjgbk... Quick Note: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/mijlebbfndhelmdpmllgcfadlkankhok https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/mijlebbfndhelmdpml...