Anyone heard of, (or have opinions of) mini apps?

I'm replying in a new post, as the small reply box for sub-replys does not allow me to format my text.

I don't think PWAs becoming main stream would be a good thing for the web. Simply because most sites do not require it. For most sites they are overkill, plus they require thought to be put into how they work, in addition to and beyond what many people creating 'run of the mill' sites are willing to invest. Once they become anywhere near automated in there creation, (which many will want) how many end users will use them?

If we read those who are not interested in web standards and accessibility, we see and read a lot of 'bad practices' and misinformation being written, (then followed) by many. Look at Animate, or discussions in the Ps forum about how the web works, and you will see and read lots that no longer reflect how things should or does work, or posts from users that simply want to use new methods to replace old outdated ones, (such as using html5 canvas to replace flash) but ignoring all the problems and reasons why the old methods have been replaced and worse still ignoring the modern web and the standards now required.

Maybe 'mini' apps will have a place, as they are more specific to answering a specific client/end-user requirement than full blown apps or PWA, especially if they do follow the W3C standards. But a PWA 'free for all' would I think simply 'kill' the reasons why and when of their use.

Thanks for the thought Os,

The user case I thought of after reading the white paper, was -

If a regular customer purchases something, then a 'mini' app could be used for order tracking, (dispatched, on-the-way, estimated delivery time). That would alleviate any requirement by the customer to log into the site just to find out what is happening to the order.

Instalation of the 'mini' app is the big problem as far as I can see. I know tablet devices are going over to be more like desktops, so maybe instalation from an app store will not be required by tablet devices.

Personally I don't see that any app is any good unless you have access to the full content and clickable links. Certainly in the case of PWA's you don't. I don't know how mini-apps work but unless they provide the full-package they too would be pointless in my opinion. I think an app should be totally seperate from a website, a dedicated and more controlled environment. The problem is if you let a lot of unknowledgeable and unskilled developers free in areas they know virtually nothing about then the quality deteriorates very fast, so whatever good parts are present in a workflow, generally get lost in transisions.

Thanks for the reply Ben,

I had never heard of 'mini' apps before reading the white paper, and could not work out how they would be installed without going through an app store. If they are intended to be complementary to PWA's, (which is the impression I had from reading) then I can see them as being thought of as a 'quick' and easy way for end users to have any features thought essential available. Making those features easier to find and use.

That said, if 'mini' apps have to be installed via an app store, then I cannot see any use for them. Which is why I posted the question.

At the moment, I am heavily into experimenting with PWA's while never having had much enthousiasm for native apps. The mere fact that I do not have to code for a device with subsequent permissions (read: payments) to publish the app has been the reason behind this. One of the only advantage that a native app has over a PWA is that it can be trusted as far as the app store can be trusted. I know that there are many more differences, some that are advantageous for specific applications. My point of view is from my regular customer.

With the hybrid solution (mini app), the app can be published without an intervening store, but the developer is still stuck with native interactions which differ per device. This will still bump up the development time.

PWA's are getting more and more leverage from giants like Microsoft and Google with Apple dragging their feet. The latter does not even recognise a manifest (at the time of writing this). Just have a look at this informative series  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNYkxOF6rcIB2xHBZ7opgc2Mv009X87Hh

My conclusion is that there is no alternative for small business but to go PWA.