While using appcache may be possible, it's a poor alternative to packaged apps 
for offline app development. Rather than encouraging workarounds, we should be 
building a better, more stable (and sane) solution. If offline is a hassle, 
developers aren't going to do it and that's a lose for users.



----- Original Message -----
From: "gene vayngrib" <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, July 15, 2013 9:23:48 PM
Subject: Re: Can we deprecate packaged apps?

Matt, although appcache is very flaky, it is possible to minimize it's problems 
by loading just the first page and a script using appcache and then roll your 
own appcache functionality replacement using LocalStorage and IndexedDB (with 
the fallback to WebSQL) for the rest of the app assets. We did so with Urbini 
(see it on github), and it works fine. Said that, I would not recommend doing 
it yourself, as the level of complexity is 10x of the appcache, just use some 
JS framework. 

Anyway, off-lining app assets does not give me access to Bluetooth, as an 
example of my problem at hand. I want my app to talk to Pebble watch, various 
fitness and medical devices. Packaged apps supposedly give me this privilege 
the same way native apps do - they allow distributor to:

1) verify that I am not a spammer/virus maker/Chinese hacker
2) inspect my code and vouch for it, to a degree 
3) revoke my distribution rights if I violated the trust

Do not get me wrong, I hate that we have relegated to the downloadable software 
model. Like Ben, I am sad. 

So I am brewing some ideas on how to address the problems of trust and damage 
control. The direction of my thought is that the rights given to me do not need 
to be binary, they can grow as I gain more trust. Also, networks like Facebook 
and LinkedIn, often serve as good deterrents from the behaviour that puts 
others at risk.

Gene Vayngrib
_______________________________________________
dev-webapps mailing list
[email protected]
https://lists.mozilla.org/listinfo/dev-webapps
_______________________________________________
dev-webapps mailing list
[email protected]
https://lists.mozilla.org/listinfo/dev-webapps

Reply via email to