9 ms·
App Updates for HTML5 Apps
- SimeVidas 7y agoIt’s 2019. Apple still uses the term HTML5.
- rolltiide 7y agoCompared to...? SPA/PWA/specific non-native solution entirely based on JS?
- SimeVidas 7y agoJust HTML. There is no versioning, it’s a “living standard.”
- detaro 7y agoHTML5 is more a shorthand for "modern web technologies" nowadays. It's not just HTML.
- ravenstine 7y agoWhich is rather silly, since HTML5 isn't "modern" in contrast to a lot of the things we call "modern" in the world of software development. I don't believe there's anyone who honestly thinks of non-modern web technologies when they hear "HTML" without the 5, except maybe someone who hasn't done any web development in over a decade.
- SimeVidas 7y agoTrust me, nobody in the web development community uses HTML5 as a shorthand for that.
- rolltiide 7y agoNot anymore as it became ubiquitous for the things people actually develop in the webdev community, but it is still the term for what is being described I see your confusion and frustration now, just a misunderstanding
- gridlockd 7y agoUnless you are trying to pull a "No True Scotsman", I'm just going to prove you wrong by presenting myself as the counter-example. HTML is just the markup language, excluding CSS and JS. HTML5 is the basket of technologies that make "modern" web apps possible.
- SimeVidas 7y agoThat was true maybe 5–10 years ago. I’m saying that this term is no longer used today, in 2019. Do you seriously still use it in discussions with your colleagues, on social media, etc.?
- gridlockd 7y agoI'd be more likely to use "web app", "web platform" or "web technology" among developers. However, I never use the term "HTML" to refer to that. Among non-developers, using the term HTML5 is definitely common. To them, it's basically the distinction between "before Flash" and "after Flash".
- ravenstine 7y agoUnless HTML6 happens and is adopted, which I doubt, calling it HTML5 is just kind of pointless; I really don't care if people say HTML5, but I say HTML because that's what it is, and adding on '5' doesn't provide any useful information since all browsers support HTML version 5 by default and without the need to specify it.
- rolltiide 7y agoOkay interesting, so thats not what Apple was referring to Its a suite of best technologies that have little to do with the version of html supported by a browser This gives a lot of insight into this whole comment thread
- alephnan 7y agoDoes anyone know if this is related to the announcement regarding the exploit targeting the Uyghur community reported by Project Zero?
- lightedman 7y ago"(6) does not support digital commerce" Apple appears to be outright stating they wont allow competition from other market sources. I say it's about time for the anti-trust suits to begin in earnest.
- villgax 7y agoSo basically any form of real money payment/purchase hybrid app is banned or just gaming ones?
- junglejoose 7y agoI’m literally about to launch an app that has a crowdsourcing feature -
- jbverschoor 7y agoThank you for protectief me and the rest of the World from fraudsters and conpanies that trick you info buying things and make it reeeaaaslllyy difficult to cancel any subscription
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- baggy_trough 7y agoAre Electron style apps banned because "core features and functionality of the app must be contained within the binary of the software"?
- detaro 7y agoIn what way would that not be the case for an "electron style" app?
- slaymaker1907 7y agoI think those should be ok as long as you are bundling all the assets with your app rather than loading them from a server (which is how Electron generally operates).
- yannikyeo 7y agoDoes it mean mobile apps built with Ionic frameworks are not allowed?
- Nextgrid 7y agoThis seems to be less about the language the code is written in and more about whether the code is contained within the app bundle. So an Electron/Cordova/whatever app that runs JS from the local bundle will still be OK, while loading the code from a remote server will not.
- cityzen 7y agoI was curious about the Deploy feature of Ionic as it's a nice selling point. Their site does say this: Push live code changes. Outside the App Stores. Deploy allows you to send live app updates and code changes directly to users and testers, without going through the App Stores. Changes to JavaScript, HTML, and CSS files are included in the service, and fully compliant with Apple and Android requirements. Curious how they're able to push live changes to apps and stay in compliance of these rules. link to Deploy page: https://ionicframework.com/pro/deploy https://ionicframework.com/pro/deploy
- saagarjha 7y agoNote that this probably has less of an impact than you’d think: > Apps may contain or run code that is not embedded in the binary (e.g. HTML5-based games, bots, etc.), as long as code distribution isn’t the main purpose of the app, the code is not offered in a store or store-like interface, and provided that the software (1) is free or purchased using in-app purchase; (2) only uses capabilities available in a standard WebKit view (e.g. it must open and run natively in Safari without modifications or additional software); your app must use WebKit and JavaScript Core to run third-party software and should not attempt to extend or expose native platform APIs to third-party software; (3) is offered by developers that have joined the Apple Developer Program and signed the Apple Developer Program License Agreement; (4) does not provide access to real money gaming, lotteries, or charitable donations; (5) adheres to the terms of these App Review Guidelines (e.g. does not include objectionable content); and (6) does not support digital commerce. You’re free to make a web app as long as you don’t try to sell things through it.
- writepub 7y ago> as you don’t try to sell things through it Why? Why does Apple insist on playing middleman, if not for totalitarian control over all commerce on the platform? How is this not monopolistic anti-trust behavior?
- saagarjha 7y agoI’m not providing my opinion on Apple’s policies; I’m just surfacing them because the linked article doesn’t make them clear.
- scarface74 7y agoYou’re free to make a web app as long as you don’t try to sell things through it. The clarification made it less clear. You’ve always been able to sell physical goods through the App Store.
- writepub 7y ago
- jeremy_wiebe 7y agoI take this to mean that apps that are just a chrome for a website will no longer be approved. I also wonder if they’re targeting apps that use services like CodePush. > This means that the core features and functionality of the app must be contained within the binary of the software, rather than made possible by referring users outside of the approved app, including through the use of HTML5.
- detaro 7y agoSounds like it would, unless maybe the app took special care to allow only modification of some harmless parts.
- hutattedonmyarm 7y agoGood. The „app“ for my mobile carrier is entirely a web view, to the point that I got a „please download our app“ banner within the app. Until recently it wasn’t even updated to support anything bigger than a 4.7“ iOS device. So the website pinned to the springboard provided a better experience than the app
- tobr 7y agoSorry, this is completely off topic, but let me guess - you are German? That style of quote isn’t used in English.
- hutattedonmyarm 7y agoYep. I usually don't use this style, but didn't pay attention to my phone's smart quotes thing where it selects the "correct" quotes style
- jon889 7y agoDoes this include native shopping apps, but that use a web view for the checkout flow? Can’t quite wrap my head around the wording.
- _bxg1 7y agoIt sounds like web apps are fine as long as the code is part of the package and isn't loaded after the fact? If so, I don't see a problem. Without this policy it would be impossible for them to enforce any other app policies.
- js2 7y ago> Apps that provide core features and functionality dynamically with web technology like HTML5 are best delivered to everyone in Safari, rather than through the curated App Store The various financial/banking/utility apps I use at best provide maybe half their functionality directly. Some really egregious examples of apps that are mostly HTML5 are myAT&T and the Discover card apps. The Discover card app is 100% useless w/o a network. Ditto the AmEx app. Actually, all eight finance/banking apps I have on my phone are useless w/o a network.
- eco 7y agoI don't use those apps so I'm curious what functionality would you expect out of them if they didn't have network access? When I use any banking apps I'm looking at transactions or making transfers both of which require internet access by their nature (queuing up transfers for later or showing stale transactions seems like a bad idea).
- js2 7y agoWithout network access, I can still see recent messages I sent in Messages, recent email in the Mail app, and so forth. I would expect to see the most recent data the app had available to it. In addition, I expect these apps to work over a low-bandwidth connection. The Discover card app is useless without an LTE connection. But that isn't even my main complaint, it's that these apps are mostly paper-thin wrappers around a web site and bounce you into a web view for much of their functionality.
- toast0 7y agoThere's no reason you couldn't have the branch locator work offline. Maybe the ATM locator too. It might be useful to have the most recent transactions, like a check register/quicken; sync when you can. Setting up a queued transfer doesn't seem that unreasonable -- as long as it makes sanity checks when it's actually processed.
- seanalltogether 7y agoI had a lot of financial clients during the early days of ios and android. All the ones that dipped their toes into native apps back then have migrated back to html wrappers. Some I remember had concerns about unencrypted storage of user data, others had concerns about increased platforms for vulnerability testing. I think ultimately these guys try to reduce risk and cost related to tech, even if it would improve their customer experience.
- pjmlp 7y agoGood riddance. Either native or mobile web.
- dragonsh 7y agoMajority of the Chinese app eco-system is based on this HTML5, including WeChat mini-apps and Alibaba's Alipay and Taobao apps. I hope Apple apply this guideline equally to all developers and do not Grant exceptions to WeChat or others in China being a bigger market. Since WeChat mini-apps in HTML5 is a very large eco-system in China with its own security risks, let's see how this works in reality.
- zenexer 7y agoIt has always seemed like Apple has granted exceptions to this policy for any influential entities outside of the IT industry as long as they don’t compete with Apple. Apps for brick-and-mortar organizations, such as banks and retailers, are a good example. They’re all almost exclusively simple wrappers around a practically unusable website. Many of them work worse in the wrapper than in a browser; for example, bank statement downloads are often broken.
- writepub 7y agoNot going to happen. Apple has a very realpolitik approach to it's totalitarianism. China is not an adversary Apple can take on, by it's own internal judgement. Hence, iCloud China runs on Chinese government controlled cloud with possibly full access to data. Hence, WeChat and co. will never be meted out the same draconian polices that companies without state patronage get.