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The way we build apps for the web, along with the tools and technologies, are constantly evolving. Recent advancements in browsers have allowed web app development to catch up to mobile app development. You can build Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) that use a collection of modern web technologies and design concepts to provide native app-like experiences on all types of devices.
[MUSIC]
0:00
Hey everyone, I'm Guil, a front-end web
development teacher here at Tree House.
0:04
In this workshop, you'll learn
a new way of delivering amazing
0:09
user experiences on the web with
progressive web apps or PWA's.
0:12
These are web applications that use
a collection of modern web technologies,
0:16
design concepts, and web APIs,
to provide native app-like experiences
0:20
on all types of devices, from laptops and
tablets, to smartphones.
0:25
The way we build apps for the web,
along with the tools and technologies,
0:28
are constantly evolving.
0:32
Recent advancements in browsers
have allowed web app development
0:34
to catch up to mobile app development.
0:38
As Google Chrome engineer
Alex Russell states, building
0:41
immersive apps using web technology no
longer requires giving up the web itself.
0:44
Building and
distributing native applications for
0:49
a mobile operating systems like iOS,
Android, or Windows is a lot of work.
0:52
Add a web application to the mix and
a company can spend a lot of resources
0:57
to support the same product
on different devices.
1:01
And native apps, while they're
mostly reliable, performant, and
1:05
convenient to use, are distributed through
third party tools like app stores, and
1:09
need to be downloaded entirely
before being experienced by users.
1:14
And studies have shown that on average,
an app loses 20% of its users for
1:18
every step needed to start using the app.
1:23
And there are many steps to
using a mobile application.
1:26
First, a user needs to make sure the app
is available for their chosen platform.
1:29
They search for the app in a store,
download it, while making sure they have
1:33
enough space on their device,
install it, and finally, open it.
1:37
And for developers, creating a native
mobile app provides other hurdles.
1:42
After you've built the app,
you need to get it into the App Store.
1:47
You submit the app to the store.
1:50
Wait for approval, and repeat the process
each time you update your app.
1:52
Developers also need to be mindful of
version fragmentation in native apps.
1:57
Not all users will be running
the same version of the app
2:02
with all the latest updates.
2:04
Some are running older versions while
other users are running newer versions.
2:06
Now there are plenty of good reasons for
building a native app.
2:11
Well-built native apps consume less data,
2:13
and they're faster because many of
the resources reside on the device itself.
2:16
And for apps that are used frequently,
or which leverage the sensors and
2:20
most of the hardware features of the
device, native apps can be the way to go.
2:24
But for a developer or
company that's building a native app for
2:29
a product on iOS, Android, and Windows
devices, as well as supporting a website,
2:32
knowing the advantages progressive web
apps provide could save loads of time and
2:37
development costs.
2:41
You could build one web
app to replace them all.
2:43
As described by Google, who originally
proposed the idea of progressive web apps.
2:46
Progressive web apps use modern
web capabilities to deliver and
2:52
app-like experience.
2:56
They evolve from pages and
browser tabs to immersive, top-level apps,
2:57
maintaining the web's low
friction at every moment.
3:01
So in other words, progressive web apps
take advantage of the latest browser
3:04
features so that they're able
to behave like native apps.
3:08
When you build a progressive web
app user simply visit your URL and
3:11
immediately start using your app.
3:15
And this eliminates the friction of
installing native apps because there's no
3:17
unnecessary downloading and
installation required.
3:21
Anyone with a web browser
has access to your app.
3:24
So coming up in this workshop I'll
teach you the important parts
3:27
of progressive web app development.
3:30
You'll learn about the characteristics,
technologies,
3:32
and architecture models that together
produce an app-like experience on the web.
3:34
By the end, you'll be able to get started
with your own progressive web app, or
3:38
at least begin ideating and
3:42
talking about this exciting new
way of building web applications.
3:44
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