Intent to Ship: PWA manifest unique id - desktop

[Phillis Tang]

Contact emails

phi...@chromium.org, pwa...@chromium.org

Explainer

https://github.com/philloooo/pwa-unique-id/blob/main/explainer.md

Specification

https://github.com/w3c/manifest/pull/988

Design docs

https://docs.google.com/document/d/16kWW_MBrdtKOMud41vobrOXUPqIL5tITWGiBk9UIDEs/edit?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-I3w9uAOGPk96Uqkn00ZVtw

Summary

Define an optional id field in app manifest that's used to globally identify the web app. If the id is not specified, start_url will be used as the default id.

Blink component

Blink

TAG review

https://github.com/w3ctag/design-reviews/issues/668

TAG review status

Issues addressed

Risks

Interoperability and Compatibility

Low interoperability & compatibility risks: For browsers that do not implement it yet, a web app that specifies the id field will just be ignored and function as normal. The only behavior difference is the app can update its start_url when it has id specified on Chrome but not on other browsers.

Gecko: No signal (https://github.com/mozilla/standards-positions/issues/559)

WebKit: No signal (https://lists.webkit.org/pipermail/webkit-dev/2021-August/031949.html)

Web developers: Positive (https://github.com/w3c/manifest/pull/988) 

manfest spec editors marcoscaceres overall agree to the change.

Draft implementation done in FIrefox https://phabricator.services.mozilla.com/D126331 

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1731940

Implemented and shipped on KaiOS https://developer.stage.kaiostech.com/docs/sfp-3.0/01.introduction/overview/#app-manifest

https://github.com/kaiostech/gecko-b2g/issues/56#issuecomment-923121049

Ergonomics

None

Activation

The feature will go together with UX changes in devtool to instruct users. A devrel post is published to inform developers about the new feature.

https://developer.chrome.com/blog/pwa-manifest-id/

Security

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-BaZAhM3eSh9CP8h8Q_OEV4gsZ9aJ46fl2ef5XeSmcg/edit?usp=sharing

Debuggability

The raw manifest json can be viewed in devtools->Application->Manifest. The computed app id can be viewed in devtools->Application->Identity-> Computed App Id

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

Tentative manual tests are written.

DevTrial instructions

https://github.com/philloooo/pwa-unique-id/blob/main/HOWTO.md

Flag name

WebAppEnableManifestId

Requires code in //chrome?

False

Tracking bug

https://bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=1182363

Launch bug

https://bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=1182361

Estimated milestones

DevTrial on desktop

94

Link to entry on the Chrome Platform Status

https://www.chromestatus.com/feature/6064014410907648

Links to previous Intent discussions

Intent to prototype: https://groups.google.com/u/1/a/chromium.org/g/blink-dev/c/hlxPHfg9GRc/m/M1jbEffUBQAJ

This intent message was generated by Chrome Platform Status.

[Yoav Weiss]

On Tue, Sep 28, 2021 at 12:08 AM Phillis Tang <phi...@chromium.org> wrote:

Contact emails

phi...@chromium.org, pwa...@chromium.org

Explainer

https://github.com/philloooo/pwa-unique-id/blob/main/explainer.md

There's a lot there, so I want to verify I understand what the feature does:

Without an ID, the browser identifies a PWA based on its start_url, and hence if that URL changes over time, that can result in e.g. double installs.

With an ID, even if the start_url changes, the browser would be able to know that a certain PWA is already installed.

Is that correct?

Am I assuming correctly and the ID matching is limited to the same origin?

 

Specification

https://github.com/w3c/manifest/pull/988

Design docs

https://docs.google.com/document/d/16kWW_MBrdtKOMud41vobrOXUPqIL5tITWGiBk9UIDEs/edit?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-I3w9uAOGPk96Uqkn00ZVtw

Summary

Define an optional id field in app manifest that's used to globally identify the web app. If the id is not specified, start_url will be used as the default id.

Blink component

Blink

TAG review

https://github.com/w3ctag/design-reviews/issues/668

TAG review status

Issues addressed

Risks

Interoperability and Compatibility

Low interoperability & compatibility risks: For browsers that do not implement it yet, a web app that specifies the id field will just be ignored and function as normal. The only behavior difference is the app can update its start_url when it has id specified on Chrome but not on other browsers.

Gecko: No signal (https://github.com/mozilla/standards-positions/issues/559)

WebKit: No signal (https://lists.webkit.org/pipermail/webkit-dev/2021-August/031949.html)

Web developers: Positive (https://github.com/w3c/manifest/pull/988) 

manfest spec editors marcoscaceres overall agree to the change.

That's not web developer feedback. Any signals from folks that are likely to use this API in production sites?

 

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[Phillis Tang]

Hi Yoav,

Yes that's the correct use case. It avoids double installs, and also allows already installed apps to apply manifest updates with start_url changes.

And yes ID matching is limited to the same origin. See the processing algorithm.

Google Chat had to do manual migration when they changed start_url previously, so they mentioned they will use it when the next migration is needed. 

- PHillis

[Phillis Tang]

Another thing is that this feature is a blocker for other features that need a formally defined identifier for web apps to be referenced.

See in the scope extension proposal, it needs to use web app identifiers to reference other apps from different origins.

- Phillis

[Yoav Weiss]

LGTM1. This seems like a small and useful addition to the PWA landscape.

[Mike West]

LGTM2.

-mike

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[Daniel Bratell]

LGTM3

/Daniel

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