What are Progressive Web Apps?

  

Progressive Web Apps are experiences that combine the best of the Web and the   applications. They are useful to users since the   first visit in a browser tab without requiring facilities.   As the user develops a relationship with the application over the   time, it becomes more and more effective. It is loaded quickly,   even on unstable networks, sends relevant push notifications, has a   icon on the home screen and is uploaded as a screen   high level.

     

What is a Progressive Web App?

     

A Progressive Web App is:

     

• Progressive - Works for any user, regardless of browser chosen, as it is created with progressive enhancement   as a fundamental principle.
  
• Responsive - Fits any format: desktop, mobile, tablet or whatever is invented below.
  
• Independent connectivity - Enhanced with service workers to work offline or on poor networks.
  
• App-like - Looks like apps to users, with application-style browsing and interactions, because   is compiled into the application shell template.
  
• Current - Always updated thanks to the service worker update process.
  
• Secure - Provided via HTTPS to prevent intrusion and ensure content is not tampered with.
  
• Discoverable - Can be identified as an "application" thanks to the W3C manifests and the service worker registry scope, which
    allow search engines to find them.
  
• Replication - Facilitates re-engagement with features such as push notifications.
  
• Installable - Allows users to "save" the most useful applications on their home screens without having to access a store.   applications.
  
• Linkable - Share easily by URL, does not require complex installation.
  

Reference : link

What advantages are there compared to native or hybrid applications?

I think the advantage in choosing to develop a PWA is that it is accessible across multiplatforms (Android, iOS, etc.) and will also be accessible in multi-devices (smartphones, tablets and desktops). The bad points is that currently some features are impossible to implement since PWA does not have access to components such as Bluetooth, NFC, Fingerprint etc.

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Big business and tech enthusiasts already realize that number of app downloads for mobile phones has been declining every year and in this situation have emerged the progressive web apps. Progressive Web Apps is a set of techniques for developing web applications, adding features that were previously only possible in native apps.

The following features, created by Google , define the which are expected from a Progressive Web App:

• Progressive : for any user, regardless of browser
• Responsive : Made for any device: desktop, tablet and mobile
• Connection : works even if the user is offline
• App-like : the user feels in a native application
• Updated : You do not need to download application updates, the browser will simply detect and update automatically if necessary.
• Secure : https only
• Engaging : Through push notifications, the user can be constantly engaged.
• Installable : You can add an icon on your smartphone's home screen with just one click.

If previously only the native applications had: push notifications, offline operation, geolocation and icon in the home screen, with progressive web apps we can have these features on the web.

Some benefits that can be cited in relation to PWAs:

• Retention : A user who wants to try an application needs to go through several steps like searching for the application, installing, opening, releasing mobile permissions, etc. When we talk about Progressive Web Apps, the user just access the link and is already using the application. That is, the user does not have to commit, and wasted time, to install an app for only after evaluating whether or not this app was worth it.
• Economy : If you really need a native application, the expenses required to hire a specialized team of iOS / Android developers will certainly be well invested. But if you do not need a native application in your case, a PWA it may suit your business requirements very well. If that is the case, the savings generated by this decision will be immense.

Some disadvantages that can be cited in relation to PWAs:

• Limitation: A Progressive Web App can not currently reproduce all the features that a native application can produce, for example: bluetooth, contact list and NFC, are some examples of features that can not be accessed by Progressive Web Apps.

Fonts - Adapted content from websites:

• Introduction to Progressive Web Apps
• Your First Progressive Web App

What exactly is Progressive Web App (PWA) or Progressive Web Application?

This part of the documentation :

  

Progressive web apps

     These are experiences that combine the best of the Web and the best of apps.   They are useful for users from the first access to a   browser, with no installation required. As you build   a relationship with the app over time, it becomes more and more   powerful. It loads quickly, even on unstable networks, sends   relevant push notifications, has a home screen icon and is   loaded as a high-level full-screen experience.

     

Technical Advantages

     

• Progressives : work for all users, regardless of browser choice, because they are created with enhancement   progressive as a central principle;
  
• Responsive : fits in any format: computer, mobile device, tablet or whatever is to come;
  
• Independent connectivity : Enhanced to use service workers to work offline or on low-quality networks;
  
• Similar to an app : The user feels that he is using an app, with interactions and navigation in the same style of apps, as they are created   in the app shell model;
  
• Updated : always updated, thanks to the process of updating service worker ;
  
• Insurance : trafficked by HTTPS to prevent crawling and ensure the content has not been tampered with;
  
• Detectable : identifiable as "applications" thanks to the service worker registry scope and W3C manifests, allowing   which search engines find;
  
• Reengountable : facilitate reengagement through features such as push notifications;
  
• Installable : Allow users to "save" the apps they find most useful on their home screen without the inconvenience of having   using an app store;
  
• Linkable by link : easy sharing via URL, without the requirement of complex installations.
  

What advantages are there compared to native or hybrid applications?

In order to use an application, you must download it. What PWA brings as a great advantage is that the user does not need to download the application, because, they run directly in the browser.

PWAs "are different from a hybrid app, which uses an HTML5 application that is surrounded by a native shell but still needs to be installed by the App Store." ( source ).

Another great advantage of PWA is that you basically need to know HTML, CSS, JavaScript and Chrome DevTools.

References:

• Progressive Web Apps
• Getting Start
• What are PWA

PWA are experience features that a web application can provide to the user so that it is similar to that of a native application.

The fact that the application is Progressive is that as the user is using the application as Web, it is increasingly integrating with the device, assuming a more native form, so to speak.

Among these features, there are:

• Push Notification;
• Usability offline;
• Access to mobile services that a native application has (camera, geolocation, vibrations, etc);
• Access the app from the device's homescreen.

The main advantage is usability; For example, a user may not want to download the app from the App Store just to use it in a particular case or a few other times. In this case the application becomes hybrid in questions of use, so to speak; it will be able to use both the browser launcher and an icon on the device's home page.

In addition, performace is also notable because the application runs in the browser of the device without needing any tweaking (like the hybrid applications and the Cordova of life) to be able to run as native and, through ServiceWorkers (feature that a PWA has) the user can have the application data cached and have its navigation as (or more) performative as a native application.

I recommend listening to this Podcast to learn more about: link