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Firefox Is Finally (Re)Adding Support for Web Apps

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Re: Firefox Is Finally (Re)Adding Support for Web Apps

#51
post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As I understand it, two problems are: 1) There's no clear definition of what it's "supposed" to. Not everyone who uses the term PWA wants the same things. 2. Some things are just a lot harder to implement than others.

1. if 90% of the people don't want a toolbar in a PWA (I'm being generous about 10% wanting it), it makes sense to not have it 2. It is not harder to implement a button to show the toolbar menu In all case, it should be (it already is by the spec!) a developer option, not something enforced by the browser.

I have learned a long time ago not to make claims about how hard it is to implement something in other people's projects - I get it wrong often enough about my own.

(Also, I don't think there's a single "PWA spec".)

Re: Firefox Is Finally (Re)Adding Support for Web Apps

#52

Mozilla were ruined by big Google checks. How they could let this opportunity slip while electron became the ui for every major desktop app… such a shame.

Personally, I feel Mozilla did not market XUL[1] enough. Had they done that, it could have become what Electron is today, with a native look and feel, and with a much reduced footprint while still offering a JS-based runtime for applications. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XUL

90% of what XUL accomplished was rendered moot and obsolete by HTML5. The remaining 10% isn't worth it.

Re: Firefox Is Finally (Re)Adding Support for Web Apps

#54
I have been installing some PWAs lately at work and... I love them. They have been replacing the need for electron and they also feel integrated with the OS.

In chrome, there is always a button to "bring back" the app from pwa into a browser tab (really nice). There is the option to open links directly in the pwa, you can access your extension from a small icon. I read that on the specs there might be an option to keep tabs around, for things like notion where your might need tabs (that would be really cool).

Overall, I'm impressed positively. Apple it's right to be scared about those, I would use PWAs for everything that's online for sure, for stuff that's offline probably too.

Excalidraw is great as PWA :)

Re: Firefox Is Finally (Re)Adding Support for Web Apps

#56

I have been installing some PWAs lately at work and... I love them. They have been replacing the need for electron and they also feel integrated with the OS. In chrome, there is always a button to "bring back" the app from pwa into a browser tab (really nice). There is the option to open links directly in the pwa, you can access your extension from a small icon. I read that on the specs there might be an option to ke…

> Chrome PWAs have been replacing the need for Electron

Isn't Electron based on Chromium?

Re: Firefox Is Finally (Re)Adding Support for Web Apps

#57
post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I will mourn the lack of a non-Chrome browser engine with enough market share to prevent Chrome from unilaterally changing the web.

Someone can fork chromium if need be. There are at least a couple organizations with chromium-based browsers that have maintained their own engines in the past. Chromium is objectively very good so it’s not like it’s the time when we were left with IE5. The biggest problem now is Google trying to protect their ad business and the other Chromium browsers have been working around that. I don’t think we are nearly as ba…

A fork of Chromium is still a Chromium-based engine, and does nothing to combat the browser engine monoculture.

I'm personally hoping for Servo/Verso, as well as hoping that Firefox turns around.

Re: Firefox Is Finally (Re)Adding Support for Web Apps

#58

I have been installing some PWAs lately at work and... I love them. They have been replacing the need for electron and they also feel integrated with the OS. In chrome, there is always a button to "bring back" the app from pwa into a browser tab (really nice). There is the option to open links directly in the pwa, you can access your extension from a small icon. I read that on the specs there might be an option to ke…

> Chrome PWAs have been replacing the need for Electron Isn't Electron based on Chromium?

Yes, it was suggesting it from a weird side: a user that thinks the need for releasing electron apps is way less now.

It's a weird side because I have no control over an app using electron or not.

Re: Firefox Is Finally (Re)Adding Support for Web Apps

#60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is frustrating to not know what url I have open. Some apps add info based on account .

There is clearly a use case for keeping the whole UI. But it is the major use case and should the whole product philosophy be based on it ? I feel there will be more sites where the URL won't matter or where the user will prefer simplicity to control. I use Google Maps 99.99% in PWA mode and never mourned the lack of the URl bar, especially as I can open the site in normal browser mode anytime I ever want the full co…

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