Introduction to progressive web applications (PWAs)
Introduction –
The web is an incredible platform having ubiquity across devices and operating systems. Developers find it a nice platform to render their software as web applications. But due to the extensive use of various devices, developing applications for PCs and smartphones separately might seem a bit tedious task. So, to give the feel of a native app, web developers are now shifting to progressive web applications. This tutorial will guide you through the various concepts and tools of Progressive web applications and how they are beneficial to software development firms.
What are Progressive Web Applications (PWAs)?
Progressive Web Applications (PWAs) are an approach to developing web applications that give traditional web apps the look and feel of native apps. With a progressive web app, developers can improve the legacy web application with all the ingredients and features of the mobile app. It increases usability and extends a great user experience (UX). Developing applications in a progressive manner deliver an app-like experience with modern web capabilities. It allows developers to provide features like:
· Installing on a mobile home screen
· Accessing the app when offline
· Allows background synchronization
· Accessing the camera feature through that web app
· Get push notifications for that app
PWA enables the web app to get stored on your device. It produces an icon as a website app. That icon will have the look and feel of a mobile application upon opening. Once the developer creates a PWA icon for their web app or website on the device, all the posts that have been opened previously with the help of the internet, automatically get stored on the device. Users do not have to use the internet to read them for the second time. PWA app development uses a methodology combining the native app experience and rendering the web browser feature.
What is the primary advantage of PWA apps from developers’ perspectives?
If a company builds applications, they need to develop that application for all the different platforms like Android, iOS, and Windows. But this is not the case with PWA. Developers do not have to develop separate apps for each platform. One single application will serve all the devices and platforms. The only requirement is that the browser running the PWA apps should support HTML 5-based web pages and should run on any mobile browser.
Characteristics of Progressive Web Applications (PWAs) –
Progressive Web Apps are web applications designed to be capable, reliable, and installable on different devices and platforms. This new form of application development caters to a better user experience and look that makes the app feel similar to platform-specific apps. Here are the five characteristics every progressive web application delivers.
· Progressive: The word progressive has a specific meaning in the PWA application. It means that the application should work on any device or platform, rendering improved appearance and performance on both users’ mobile browsers and PCs.
· Discoverable: Progressive Web Apps are websites or web applications having extra features and functionalities. Users can search these apps via mobile searching applications. Companies do not have to upload them to App Store or Play Store.
· Responsive: The term responsive in web apps means, the app can fit on any device or screen size. Progressive web apps are responsive, meaning they can fit themselves in any form factor, and screen size within a device.
· App-like: Progressive Web Apps render the look and feel of a native application. Even though the approaches used to create, share, launch, and update the PWA are radically different from the original application; they provide similar features that native web apps provide.
· Connectivity and independence: They work seamlessly when connecting at a very low speed.
Advantages of PWA –
i. PWA-based web apps look very impressive on smartphones and other portable devices.
ii. Users can easily save a portion of these apps on their devices.
iii. Progressive web apps do not require any updates.
iv. The loading of such apps becomes easy on your smartphones.
v. Such an application saves money and time as developers do not have to separately create apps for android, iOS, and other OS or platforms.
vi. Any post or page opened previously with the help of the internet, automatically gets stored in the device. Users do not have to use the internet to read them for the second time.
vii. It requires lesser internet data to load its components.
viii. Developing PWA apps are cheaper than the other applications.
