Progressive Web App

Progressive Web App (PWA) is a web site that a client can progressively enhance into a standalone app that's comparable with a native app.

Built on the basis of good adherence to modern web standards and technologies; they are platform independent, can be accessed through a URL, accessible and indexed by search engines.

A typical PWA will usually have included a high proportion of the following features and capabilities:

• Load over HTTPS
• Load over offline/poor performing network conditions (typically with a service worker script)
• Prompt user to Add to Homescreen
• Have a design that's mobile friendly
• The web site is progressively enhanced
• Optimised assets and requests, sometimes including delivery over HTTP2
• Provide enhanced accessibility features such as using ARIA attributes

IndieWeb Examples

Calum Ryan with calumryan.com

• Calum Ryan on calumryan.com

Jeremy Keith with adactio.com

• Jeremy Keith on adactio.com

Articles

• What, Exactly, Makes Something A Progressive Web App? https://infrequently.org/2016/09/what-exactly-makes-something-a-progressive-web-app/
• Designing Responsive Progressive Web Apps https://cloudfour.com/thinks/designing-responsive-progressive-web-apps/

Tools

• Lighthouse audit tool (Chrome extension) https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/lighthouse/blipmdconlkpinefehnmjammfjpmpbjk
• PWABuilder http://preview.pwabuilder.com/

See Also

• https://medium.com/@markmuskardin/before-you-build-a-pwa-you-need-a-spa-e22770a0f31c
• https://mxb.at/blog/how-to-turn-your-website-into-a-pwa/
• Progressive web apps in the app switcher on iOS (adactio.com)
• https://twitter.com/mhartington/status/1089292031548145666
  • "WHHATTT!!! iOS 12.2. beta comes with some big PWA updates!" @mhartington January 26, 2019
• offline first