Do you know that Spotify, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Telegram are PWAs? Maybe you have heard this term many times, but in practice you have not found the right reference to it? Progressive Web Apps (PWA) are apps that consist of web components like “HTML”, “CSS” and “JavaScript”. So when you develop a PWA, a web page is automatically created as well. Every smartphone, regardless of manufacturer or operating system, can access a web page and thus a PWA via a browser. Native apps, on the other hand, are developed with programming languages such as Java, Kotlin or Swift. A website is not created automatically, but can be programmed separately if desired. This costs time and money.
What makes a progressive web app an app?
After the PWA has been installed on the smartphone, the corresponding icon appears on the home screen – just like with a native app. This is a link to the website, a digital bookmark that works on your computer. In addition, a variety of app functionalities such as offline use, camera, GPS and the sending of notifications can be integrated into PWAs.
To find out which functionalities are supported by which browser, click here: https://whatwebcando.today
The development of a PWA
As already mentioned, a PWA is created using web development programming languages. The heart of a PWA is the “ServiceWorker”. It is a JavaScript file and is located between the browser, the cache and the server. It controls the storage of the most important components and functionalities of the app in the cache of the browser as well as the data management and the database application.
The advantages of a Progressive Web App at a glance
- A PWA uses significantly less memory than native apps.
- Because it is operating system independent, it can be used on any device.
- During development, a double development process is saved.
- Easy installation is possible through the browser, since no Play Store or Apple Store is required.
Have fun. Enjoy coding.
Your INNO-coding team.