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This seems to be aimed at Single Page Websites and not Applications. The aim isn't to "mimic the browser using Javascript" but to create an immersive applicati

This seems to be aimed at Single Page Websites and not Applications. The aim isn't to "mimic the browser using Javascript" but to create an immersive application that feels like you're no longer in a browser at all.

Hakeashar 11y ago
I'd say that ~98% (statistic pulled out of the thin air) of Single Page Applications are - in fact - Single Page Websites in your terminology. At least that's what I usually see when various companies are using Angular (or Ember, or React-with-routing, or any other library/framework) to power their web applications. Honorable mention for the application that you probably have in mind can go towards (IMO) React UI Builder which was posted to HN a few days ago (https://github.com/ipselon/react-ui-builder https://github.com/ipselon/react-ui-builder).
chubot 11y ago
What are some examples of applications that succeed in this? The only one I can think of that is successful is Google Maps. Though lately I seem have all sorts of problems navigating it, so maybe it's no longer a success. "Feeling like you're no longer in a browser" isn't really a customer goal or a product goal. It could be a means to an end, depending on the application, but I don't see that many people executing it effectively. The more common case by far seems to be people who want too much control, without realizing that they are actually degrading the experience (i.e. by messing up navigation, hyperlinks, copy-paste, accessibility, latency, etc.)
Sanddancer 11y ago
At which point, the question becomes, "why is this a website?" if you're building an application, usually languages like C#, Objective-C, etc offer far more powerful tools for making an application.
- adamors 11y ago
  Because a web based application doesn't need installation, it's cross platform and accessible by everybody.
  - jalfresi 11y ago
    Then surely all the effort being put into make browsers not browsers would be better directed towards solving those goals, without bastardising the web? I always thought that the SPA crowd would settle on a custom content-type to handle web apps. That way they aren't hamstrung by the limitations of HTML and web pages and can really do things right by web apps.
jalfresi 11y ago
"create an immersive application that feels like you're no longer in a browser at all" That seems like a very odd goal.
- buckbova 11y ago
  I disagree. What would Google Docs look like as a typical post back driven app? A giant text area with markup? No collaboration? No history of changes? No live spellckeck? Are you suggesting we go back to a pre-ajax web? No thanks. I was developing clunky web applications with way too many text areas, buttons, tables, and pages pre-ajax. I'm much happier with the state of the web now.

Hakeashar 11y ago

I'd say that ~98% (statistic pulled out of the thin air) of Single Page Applications are - in fact - Single Page Websites in your terminology. At least that's what I usually see when various companies are using Angular (or Ember, or React-with-routing, or any other library/framework) to power their web applications. Honorable mention for the application that you probably have in mind can go towards (IMO) React UI Builder which was posted to HN a few days ago (https://github.com/ipselon/react-ui-builder https://github.com/ipselon/react-ui-builder).

chubot 11y ago

What are some examples of applications that succeed in this? The only one I can think of that is successful is Google Maps. Though lately I seem have all sorts of problems navigating it, so maybe it's no longer a success. "Feeling like you're no longer in a browser" isn't really a customer goal or a product goal. It could be a means to an end, depending on the application, but I don't see that many people executing it effectively. The more common case by far seems to be people who want too much control, without realizing that they are actually degrading the experience (i.e. by messing up navigation, hyperlinks, copy-paste, accessibility, latency, etc.)

Sanddancer 11y ago

At which point, the question becomes, "why is this a website?" if you're building an application, usually languages like C#, Objective-C, etc offer far more powerful tools for making an application.

adamors 11y ago
Because a web based application doesn't need installation, it's cross platform and accessible by everybody.
- jalfresi 11y ago
  Then surely all the effort being put into make browsers not browsers would be better directed towards solving those goals, without bastardising the web? I always thought that the SPA crowd would settle on a custom content-type to handle web apps. That way they aren't hamstrung by the limitations of HTML and web pages and can really do things right by web apps.

jalfresi 11y ago

"create an immersive application that feels like you're no longer in a browser at all" That seems like a very odd goal.

buckbova 11y ago
I disagree. What would Google Docs look like as a typical post back driven app? A giant text area with markup? No collaboration? No history of changes? No live spellckeck? Are you suggesting we go back to a pre-ajax web? No thanks. I was developing clunky web applications with way too many text areas, buttons, tables, and pages pre-ajax. I'm much happier with the state of the web now.