A course that breaks down every aspect of modern progressive web app development.
This course covers the fundamentals of Progressive Web App development in easy-to-understand pieces. Over the following modules, you'll learn what a Progressive Web App is, how to create one or upgrade your existing web content, and how to add all the pieces for an offline, installable app. Use the menu pane to navigate the modules. (The menu is at left on desktop or behind the hamburger menu on mobile.)
You'll learn PWA fundamentals like the Web App Manifest, service workers, how to design with an app in mind, how to use other tools to test and debug your PWA. After these fundamentals, you'll learn about integration with the platform and operating system, how to enhance your PWA's installation and usage experience, and how to offer an offline experience.
Each module includes interactive demos and self-assessments for you to test your knowledge. You will be able to test and try demos on your mobile phone, tablet, or laptop while playing with code to understand the fundamentals of what makes a Progressive Web App.
This course is created for a beginner and advanced web developers alike. You can go through the series from start to finish to get a general understanding of PWA from top to bottom, or you can use it as a reference for specific subjects. For those new to web development you will need a grounding in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to follow along. Check out Learn CSS, and the HTML and JavaScript courses on MDN.
Here's what you'll learn:
Getting started
If you want to build a Progressive Web App, you may be wondering where to start, if it's possible to upgrade a website to a PWA without starting from scratch, or how to move from a platform-specific app to a PWA. This article will help you answer these questions.
Foundations
All Progressive Web Apps are, at their core, modern websites, so it's important that your website has a solid foundation in responsive design, mobile and everything first, intrinsic design, and web performance.
App design
One of the key differences between Progressive Web Apps and classic websites and web apps is installability. This creates a standalone experience more integrated into the platform and operating system. Installation enables new flexibility and new responsibility, as we won't have a browser's user interface around our content.
Assets and data
A Progressive Web App is a website; all its assets are the same as on the web, but with new tools to make those assets load fast when online and available when offline.
Service workers
Service workers are a fundamental part of a PWA. They enable fast loading (regardless of the network), offline access, push notifications, and other capabilities.
Caching
You can use the Cache Storage API to download, store, delete or update assets on the device. Then these assets can be served on the device without needing a network request.
Serving
Using the service worker's fetch event, you can intercept network requests and serve a response using different techniques.
Workbox
Workbox is a set of modules that simplify common service worker interactions such as routing and caching. Each module addresses a specific aspect of service worker development. Workbox aims to make using service workers as easy as possible while allowing the flexibility to accommodate complex application requirements where needed.
Offline data
To build a solid offline experience you need to implement storage management. Tools like IndexedDB, Cache, Storage Manager, Persistent Storage, and Content Indexing can help.
Installation
Installed apps are easy to access and can take advantage of some deeper integrations with the OS. Learn to make your PWA installable and gain those benefits.
Web app manifest
The web app manifest is a JSON file that defines how the PWA should be treated as an installed application, including the look and feel and basic behavior within the operating system.
Installation prompt
For sites that pass the PWA install criteria, the browser triggers an event to prompt the user to install it. The good news is that you can use this event to customize your prompt and invite users to install your app.
Update
Chances are your PWA needs updating. This chapter gives you the tools to update different parts of your PWA, from assets to metadata.
Enhancements
Your user expects a good experience. In this chapter, you will see how to enhance your PWA with splash screens, app shortcuts, and how sessions work.
Detection
Identifying how your users interact with your app is useful in customizing and improving the user experience. For example, you can check whether your app is already installed on the user's device and implement features such as transferring navigation to the standalone app from the browser.
OS Integration
Your PWA now works outside the browser. This chapter covers how to integrate further with the operating system once users install your app.
Window management
A PWA outside of the browser manages its own window. In this chapter, you will understand the APIs and capabilities for managing a window within the operating system.
Experimental features
There are PWA capabilities that are still under construction and you can be part of their development. In this chapter you'll learn about the Fugu project, how to sign-up for an origin trial, and how to use experimental APIs
Tools and debug
We will explore the tools available to develop, debug, and test your Progressive Web Apps.
Architecture
You make some decisions when developing a PWA, such as whether to create a single page application or a multi-page application, and whether you will host it in the root of your domain or within a folder.
Complexity management
Keeping a web app simple can be surprisingly complicated. In this module, you will learn how web APIs work with threading and how you can use this for common PWA patterns such as state management.
Capabilities
PWAs are not just tied to the screen. This chapter is about the capabilities that a PWA has today in terms of hardware, sensors, and platform usage.
Conclusion
Next steps and resources.
So, are you ready to learn PWA?