Pipe To Access PWA (Progressive Web App) Function

Ideas & Product Feedback
1

I need to offer my users offline capability when using my app on mobile devices. The app would work as normal when offline and then sync to update with the database when back within range of a network. Good for those in poor cell coverage, travellers, and flyers using “Flight Mode”.

I’ve done some research into how this might work and for Tadabase it would mean having PWA functionality.

Progressive Web Apps give web-based applications (Tadabase) the look and feel of a regular mobile app adding: push notifications, splash screen, “add to desktop” with custom icon, responsive to screen orientation as well as offline capability.

From Microsoft…

  • Discoverable - The app is discoverable from web search results and supporting app stores.
  • Installable - Pin and launch the app from the home screen.
  • Re-engageable - The app can receive push notifications.
  • Network-independent - The app works offline and in low-network conditions.
  • Progressive - The user experience of the app scales up or down with device capabilities.
  • Safe - The app provides a secure HTTPS endpoint and other user safeguards.
  • Responsive - The app adapts to the user’s screen size or orientation and input method.
  • Linkable - Share and launch the app from a standard link.
    (Overview of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) - Microsoft Edge Developer documentation | Microsoft Learn)

Tadabase is not PWA ready yet, but there are third-party services that can provide this today; PEP (https://pep.dev/), Progressier (https://progressier.com/) and likely many more.

I understand they are incompatible with Tadabase currently, so we would need a Tadabase “Pipe” to be able to access these services.

Excuse the sales pitch, but could you register your interest in such a feature by replying or giving this post a ‘like’, so the Tadabase team can gauge interest.

Thanks

Neil

@james

2

In theory it should be possible to host the service worker js file remotely and call it from the Tadabase custom Header/Footer code section.

The only issue would be Tadabase blocking it due to a CORS issue, but that’s not too difficult to overcome.

Unless I’m missing something, you could host it on Github, then all Tadabase would have to do is whitelist your repository for CORS.

3

That’s the sense I got reading the “Manifest” documentation - that Tadabase has to allow access (whitelist), but it does leave us “no coders” with the problem of building an off-site service worker - hence my suggestion of a third-party no-code service.

Perhaps both?