Default web-apps, replacing, settings

[Jim Straus]

Hello all -
Just thinking about web apps and replacing built-in/default apps.
Thinking about replacing the contacts app (for example). This means
that the user can somehow remove the default contacts app from the home
screen (how? dwell on it with a touch and a pop-up appears with the
option to remove it?) when they install a new contacts app. Then the
user goes and removes the new contacts app. How do they get the
original back? One thought is that the webapp manifest contains a list
of capabilities the app provides. Then when an app is removed, if it is
the last providing the capability, the default one is re-added
automatically.
On a similar theme, how is the home screen replaced? And if it is,
now does the original come back if desired?
Finally, I'm thinking the settings app should be a specialized
launcher, like the home screen and that each of the settings be its own
webapp. This has several advantages such as allowing for new settings
to be added or replaced without having to re-implement everything. It
also allows each setting app to have its own set of permissions (see
permissions discussions recently). Otherwise the settings app will
basically have to have permission for everything.
-Jim Straus

[Chris Lee]

On Mar 5, 2012, at 1:10 PM, Jim Straus wrote:

> Hello all -
> Just thinking about web apps and replacing built-in/default apps. Thinking about replacing the contacts app (for example). This means that the user can somehow remove the default contacts app from the home screen (how? dwell on it with a touch and a pop-up appears with the option to remove it?) when they install a new contacts app. Then the user goes and removes the new contacts app. How do they get the original back? One thought is that the webapp manifest contains a list of capabilities the app provides. Then when an app is removed, if it is the last providing the capability, the default one is re-added automatically.

To preface this, I'm specifically referencing Gaia here. This wouldn't apply to partners who decide to create there own front-end UX. As for 'Core apps' (i.e. Phone, SMS, Settings, Browser, etc.), we'll want to discuss the partner/developer/user value on enabling users to remove (or replace) this functionality. There can be compelling reasons to swap out one of these Core apps, but at the same time, we wouldn't want users to get into a situation where they lost functionality because the replacement app didn't have a particular feature.

For the case where Mozilla is actively working with our partners, we'll want to ensure a great experience and if enabling the replacement of Core apps still delivers that experience, I don't see why we wouldn't/couldn't allow that. For others who take our code and build their own implementation of B2G, they can do whatever suits their needs.

> On a similar theme, how is the home screen replaced? And if it is, now does the original come back if desired?

Similar to above, if we're working closely with a partner, the home screen would need to consist of the Core apps (in Gaia UX or their own). There is no "original home screen" here -- it's either a partner of Mozilla takes Gaia fully, builds their own front-end UX or creates a version that incorporates both pieces of Gaia and their own design.

> Finally, I'm thinking the settings app should be a specialized launcher, like the home screen and that each of the settings be its own webapp. This has several advantages such as allowing for new settings to be added or replaced without having to re-implement everything. It also allows each setting app to have its own set of permissions (see permissions discussions recently). Otherwise the settings app will basically have to have permission for everything.
> -Jim Straus

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[Ben Francis]

On Mon, Mar 5, 2012 at 9:10 PM, Jim Straus <jst...@mozilla.com> wrote:

> Hello all -
> Just thinking about web apps and replacing built-in/default apps.
> Thinking about replacing the contacts app (for example). This means that
> the user can somehow remove the default contacts app from the home screen
> (how? dwell on it with a touch and a pop-up appears with the option to
> remove it?)

Presumably the market app will allow you to un-install apps. You could also
install other "app store" apps which also have permission to
install/uninstall apps of course.

> when they install a new contacts app. Then the user goes and removes the
> new contacts app. How do they get the original back?

Just re-install it from the marketplace app, I assume all Gaia apps will be
in the Mozilla Marketplace. I'm hoping we can turn all Gaia apps into real
Open Web Apps very soon.

> One thought is that the webapp manifest contains a list of capabilities
> the app provides. Then when an app is removed, if it is the last providing
> the capability, the default one is re-added automatically.
>

I don't think there's really any need to do this unless the only app left
on the device that can install apps can un-install itself and if this is
the case it should warn the user that they should make sure they have
another app store type app installed before they un-install it. Given that
Open Web Apps can be self-published and not listed in any store, maybe you
should also be able to install apps from the browser app. Then you're only
really stuck if you un-install both the marketplace app and the browser
app. Maybe we need a hard coded "factory reset" function for if the user
does something really silly like this.

> On a similar theme, how is the home screen replaced?

Install one from the market, then maybe a setting to set which app is the
homescreen? Are there certification issues with being able to change the
homescreen?

> And if it is, now does the original come back if desired?
>

Re-install it and change the setting?

> Finally, I'm thinking the settings app should be a specialized launcher,
> like the home screen and that each of the settings be its own webapp. This
> has several advantages such as allowing for new settings to be added or
> replaced without having to re-implement everything. It also allows each
> setting app to have its own set of permissions (see permissions discussions
> recently). Otherwise the settings app will basically have to have
> permission for everything.
>

Hmm, that might cause problems when enumerating apps because you'd have
lots of settings icons displayed in the launcher. Note that the settings
app only needs access to the Settings API, not all of the other APIs.

Ben

--
Ben Francis
http://tola.me.uk

[Jim Straus]

Hello Ben -
Does this presume that the market app can't be removed/replaced? Or
the browser? Settings? I would think that all of those are options for
being replaced or removed. Maybe the special hard coded function
shouldn't be "factory reset", but "install factory apps/set to factory
home screen". This way the state of everything the user has already
installed is still there, not wiped out.
As for settings, there could be a specialized webapp manifest that
indicates a settings app to prevent the settings from showing up on the
home screen. Or if we have a way to have folders of apps, the settings
just becomes a specialized folder. As for only needing access to the
settings api, are you envisioning that something like the wifi settings
being a separate app and only enabling or disabling it being in the
settings app? Or closer to my current thinking, that the permissions
manager app is on the home screen and not part of settings? I would
think that both of those would be grouped under settings and that they
would need more than the settings api.
-Jim Straus

[Ben Francis]

On Mon, Mar 5, 2012 at 9:47 PM, Jim Straus <jst...@mozilla.com> wrote:

> Hello Ben -
> Does this presume that the market app can't be removed/replaced? Or the
> browser? Settings? I would think that all of those are options for being
> replaced or removed.
>

I agree all of those should be replaceable by the user, or rather the user
should be able to install other apps that can do these things and/or
uninstall the existing ones.

> Maybe the special hard coded function shouldn't be "factory reset", but
> "install factory apps/set to factory home screen". This way the state of
> everything the user has already installed is still there, not wiped out.
>

Yes that's basically what I meant.

> As for settings, there could be a specialized webapp manifest that
> indicates a settings app to prevent the settings from showing up on the
> home screen. Or if we have a way to have folders of apps, the settings
> just becomes a specialized folder. As for only needing access to the
> settings api, are you envisioning that something like the wifi settings
> being a separate app and only enabling or disabling it being in the
> settings app? Or closer to my current thinking, that the permissions
> manager app is on the home screen and not part of settings? I would think
> that both of those would be grouped under settings and that they would need
> more than the settings api.
>

I wouldn't overcomplicate app manifests for this special case, we have more
important problems to solve in that area.

I think settings should start off as one app, and if it gets so big and
requires so many permissions that it becomes a problem, we could split off
parts into separate apps, perhaps with a web intent to launch those other
apps from the settings app. I don't think this is a problem we have yet.