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Betting on the Web – Why I Build PWAs

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Re: Betting on the Web – Why I Build PWAs

#141

Post by WorldMaker »

badsectoracula wrote: post #110
david-cako wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>There's no reason a similar system couldn't be built to deliver platform-native applications I'm very into the idea of HTML/CSS/JS on the desktop (and by extension, things like react native), even if simply as a frontend to a heavier duty application running on localhost. I feel like the OSs should be shipping runtimes for it instead of having insane 120MB hello world electron apps. Web apps also don't necessarily m…

> I feel like the OSs should be shipping runtimes for it Well, Windows does come with the MSHTML control. Sadly for some reason they decided to version lock it at IE6 instead of keeping it up to date for applications to use.

Windows 8+ added the HTML/JS native application stack in the WinRT/UWP modern application world. That stack is a lot nicer to work within than bad old days trying to script MSHTML to do what you need, if you give it the chance.

Re: Betting on the Web – Why I Build PWAs

#142

Post by mikodin »

mslate wrote: post #55
mikodin wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interesting that you had so many pain points. I like Ionic, don't love it but I find it to be very very easy to work with. I don't mean to flame, I just want to provide a counter example as I was using Ionic on the day to day basis for about 5 months. - I find the router to be very easy to use, requiring no work arounds, you call the nav controller and push / set a view, nothing crazy here. - The build process, speci…

Which app were you developing? Is it actually in the app store? What kind of usage does it have? I've always entertained the idea of using a hybrid framework--like Ionic--but I have never heard of a successful business betting the farm on one (especially a "Banking" one like you say).

Yessir, we have around 100 active users at any point. The app is butt ugly (I had no choice in the design).

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nexs.NexsC...

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/nexscard/id1124098775?mt=8

Re: Betting on the Web – Why I Build PWAs

#143

Post by mikodin »

dehef wrote: post #48
mikodin wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interesting that you had so many pain points. I like Ionic, don't love it but I find it to be very very easy to work with. I don't mean to flame, I just want to provide a counter example as I was using Ionic on the day to day basis for about 5 months. - I find the router to be very easy to use, requiring no work arounds, you call the nav controller and push / set a view, nothing crazy here. - The build process, speci…

I use "ionic-app-scripts" (@ionic/app-scripts) for watching the change. It's what is used by ionic cli I think. Since the recent update to webpack 3 things are better but I still loss my focus on each build :) In fact I just checked and it's around 1 minute to finish the watch process, but many time consecutively, it become worse. When I only update scss that is very quick indeed. The start process is very quick also…

Hmm, definitely hop on the entire CLI, you won't regret it.

As far as live reload goes, it definitely is faster than 1 minute, are you connected via USB? For live reload I would stay connected via USB and then obviously you need to be on the same Wi-Fi, (For iOS, I've only used the simulator for development, but we test on a real iPhone all the time)

What kind of issues are you having with the menu? The only bugs that I've found had to do with animations, I had to use CSS animations as opposed to the Angular way of doing animations for iOS.

Other than that though, I've found the iOS to be the most stable version of the application, even though I developed it almost exclusively on Android (with some spurts on iOS to ensure everything worked).

As for the router, yeah I see what you're saying, our app is pretty straight forward as far as navigation goes.

The grid, I agree, it's annoying, it's like they threw bootstrap grid system and flexbox into one, and it's a bit strange.

Re: Betting on the Web – Why I Build PWAs

#144

Post by hilti »

osrec wrote: post #137
hilti wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a really beautiful designed PWA - congratulations! Do you mind sharing some tech details (Framework used, Charts)

I pretty much rolled my own! Everything from the view rendering to the charts were done in house, as I wanted to keep it lightweight. If I end up making a bit of money on this, I will definitely open source the charts and view rendering engines :)

Awesome and great work! I would happily pay for both :-)

Re: Betting on the Web – Why I Build PWAs

#145

Post by badsectoracula »

osrec wrote: post #139
badsectoracula wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> ... seems to have taken a step backward with mobile apps, and replaced with an endless need for vendor lock in. It's great for business, but as a user, it feels really restrictive. As a developer, it's not great either. But isn't using a web app that stores its data to a remote server and handles upgrades a method of vendor (in this case developer) lock in? As a user you are 100% reliant on the developer, both for…

I don't disagree with what you're saying, but the issue I have is with the monopolistic aspect of an app store... Basically, it's one or two monolithic companies that control everything and determine the rules because they make the base operating systems. With regards to updates etc, I think similar issues apply to native apps - e.g. devs can change the backend, which can break older front ends. I'm sure you can even…

TBH i was mainly thinking about desktop applications where app stores are not really a thing (beyond Steam) and - at least in Windows - you can still use applications written a couple of decades ago while the companies that made them have long dissolved.

I agree about the gatekeeperness aspect of app stores too :-). At least with Android there is the ability to install APK files, though it isn't very user friendly.

Re: Betting on the Web – Why I Build PWAs

#146

Post by david-cako »

goatlover wrote: post #111
david-cako wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>There's no reason a similar system couldn't be built to deliver platform-native applications I'm very into the idea of HTML/CSS/JS on the desktop (and by extension, things like react native), even if simply as a frontend to a heavier duty application running on localhost. I feel like the OSs should be shipping runtimes for it instead of having insane 120MB hello world electron apps. Web apps also don't necessarily m…

> I'm very into the idea of HTML/CSS/JS on the desktop Why? there are better languages, platforms and layout engines. HTML/CSS/JS was meant to be a document markup sharing platform, not a rich application one. Use the best tool for the job.

Graphical frameworks -- GTK? QT?

These are intertwined with the language and GTK especially does not look attractive on macOS and Windows.

The appeal to HTML/CSS/JS is it's 100% agnostic to the platform, and can even be used as a front-end to a program written in a different language.

Re: Betting on the Web – Why I Build PWAs

#147

Post by TomMarius »

ryanwaggoner wrote: post #131
TomMarius wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You know that one of the major features PWAs offer is creating an app icon so you can launch it just like an app in a headless browser and use it offline, right?

I don't think that's what headless browser means...

Yeah, maybe I chose a bad word - I meant a browser with no controls.

Re: Betting on the Web – Why I Build PWAs

#148

Post by _Tev »

kevmo314 wrote: post #77
scaryclam wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you may misunderstand. The bus company provides live information. This is not a schedule, so cannot be downloaded ahead of time.

What if I just want the schedule though? It's not unusual that I'm underground (perhaps getting off a subway train) and don't have connection.

The online search takes into account all short term schedule modifications. Considering how many such changes occur on almost daily basis, you would be quickly complaining about data usage from all those schedule updates. Or you would frequently get wrong route.

Either way, a lot of complexity / resources spent on something trivially solved by the original solution (webpage).

Re: Betting on the Web – Why I Build PWAs

#149

Post by _Tev »

illuminati1911 wrote: post #122
kooshball wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you're wrong about the uphill battle part. Most users don't bother with new apps at all. https://www.recode.net/2016/9/16/12933780/average-app-downlo... Keep in mind this is in the US. People in developing countries, on older and slower devices with limited bandwidth, are even less likely to download new apps.

Oh they actually do. The thing is that people already have all the apps what they need, so there is no regular need to download other apps. But when such need arrives though, they head to the appstore. The reality in developing countries is actually completely opposite. People in those countries love apps and use WiFi etc. to downlod them in coffee shops/schools/offices... so they can keep using the service only by d…

How can be webapp less secure than native app?

Re: Betting on the Web – Why I Build PWAs

#150

Post by goatlover »

david-cako wrote: post #146
goatlover wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I'm very into the idea of HTML/CSS/JS on the desktop Why? there are better languages, platforms and layout engines. HTML/CSS/JS was meant to be a document markup sharing platform, not a rich application one. Use the best tool for the job.

Graphical frameworks -- GTK? QT? These are intertwined with the language and GTK especially does not look attractive on macOS and Windows. The appeal to HTML/CSS/JS is it's 100% agnostic to the platform, and can even be used as a front-end to a program written in a different language.

Sure, but Java made that claim as a platform in 1995, and it was free and open source.
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