Progressive web applications (PWAs) address gaps in regular web apps and native apps. PWAs use technologies like service workers, the web app manifest, and the app shell model to provide native-app-like functionality while still being web apps. Service workers allow PWAs to work offline through caching strategies. Push notifications and app install banners further enhance the user experience. Libraries like Sw-Precache and Sw-Toolbox help implement service worker caching strategies. Major companies have adopted PWAs to increase user engagement and reduce data usage compared to regular web and native apps. Cross-browser support and business logic limitations remain challenges for PWAs.
2. Agenda
Evolution of progressive web apps (PWAs)
Gaps in regular web application
Technologies behind PWAs
Libraries and Tools to work with progressive web app technologies
A Use Case
Limitations with PWAs
5. Native Apps
Business/Developers
Engagement
Access to native features
High development effort
Very less new app installs
20% of users drop while installation
Upgrade
Users
User experience
Engagement
Offline support
Storage
Installation
6. Web Apps
Users
No installation needed
No additional storage
Easy discovery
Business/Developers
Less development effort
Upgrade
7. Web Apps
Users
No installation needed
No additional storage
User experience
Offline support
Engagement
Business/Developers
Less development effort
Upgrade
Engagement
8. Progressive web apps evolution
Addressing the gaps in web apps and native apps
Middle ground
Best of native and Best of web apps
21. App cache is a high level,
declarative API with which you
can specify the resources
you’d want the browser to
cache.
Are we going to use.. App cache?
22. Rigid
Developed by browser vendors and did not provide developers the
flexibility to customise
Deprecated in Chrome and Firefox browsers.
Limitations with App cache
64. Sw-Precache
It is a module to generate service worker.
It can be easily integrated with Javascript based build scripts like gulp and grunt.
This generates service worker which caches all the resources according to the
configuration provided.
69. SW-Toolbox
It is another helping library for generating service worker.
Caching strategy for dynamic content.
It can be integrated with Sw-Precache or used individually.
Sw-Precache + Sw-Toolbox = Offline first caching for static content + Choose a
caching strategy for dynamic content.
81. Flipkart Lite
3x more time spent on the site
40% higher re-engagement rate
70% greater conversion rate via home screen
3x lower data usage
Source: https://developers.google.com/web/showcase/2016/flipkart
82. OLA PWA
~60 MB on Android
~100 MB on IOS
~0.5 MB as a PWA
Source: https://developers.google.com/web/showcase/2017/ola