Web-Facing Change PSA: Populate targetURL during file handling

[Chromestatus]

Contact emails

dmu...@google.com

Specification

https://wicg.github.io/manifest-incubations/index.html#execute-a-file-handler-launch

Summary

Update the Launch Handler implementation to ensure LaunchParams.targetURL is populated when a PWA is launched via File Handling. Previously, this property was null when a file launch was directed to an existing window. This change ensures that the URL from the developer's manifest "action" field (the same url the document is required to be currently loading) is available to the launchQueue consumer.

Blink component

UI>Browser>WebAppInstalls>FileHandling

Web Feature ID

app-file-handlers

Risks

Interoperability and Compatibility

Interoperability Risk: Very Low. The Web App Launch API is currently a Chromium-led effort, and the usage is very low: https://chromestatus.com/metrics/feature/timeline/popularity/3875 Compatibility Risk: Very low. This is an additive change (populating a field that was previously empty). It is unlikely to break existing sites unless they were explicitly asserting that the targetURL must be empty during a file launch. No samples or known code does this, all code checks for the 'files' property list instead, whose behavior remains unchanged. Again, usage very low: https://chromestatus.com/metrics/feature/timeline/popularity/3875

Gecko: N/A

WebKit: N/A

Web developers: Positive (https://github.com/WICG/web-app-launch/issues/97)

Other signals:

Ergonomics

This change improves the ergonomics of the LaunchParams object by making it predictable across all launch types (File, Protocol, and Link launches).

Activation

No special activation is required. Developers who already use window.launchQueue.setConsumer will automatically start receiving the targetURL in the LaunchParams object.

Security

No new security or privacy risks. The targetURL provided is the same URL that the browser is already navigating to as part of the launch process.

WebView application risks

Does this intent deprecate or change behavior of existing APIs, such that it has potentially high risk for Android WebView-based applications?

No information provided

Debuggability

Developers can verify this by logging the LaunchParams object's targetURL field within their launch consumer.

Will this feature be supported on all six Blink platforms (Windows, Mac, Linux, ChromeOS, Android, and Android WebView)?

No
LaunchQueue / Web App Launch, and File Handling is not yet supported on Android.

Is this feature fully tested by web-platform-tests?

No
Unfortunately there are no web platform tests yet for file handling.

Tracking bug

https://crbug.com/464314997

Measurement

Adoption can be measured via the file handling launch feature counter: https://chromestatus.com/metrics/feature/timeline/popularity/3875

Estimated milestones

Shipping on desktop

146

Link to entry on the Chrome Platform Status

https://chromestatus.com/feature/5119095123083264

This intent message was generated by Chrome Platform Status.