Tools to build PWA quickly

For quite some time now, UX has been the focus of modern web development. Several factors affect this, including page load speed, usability, scalability, and design. But now more customers prefer mobile web browsing over desktop browsing, any website— whether a niche blog or an e-commerce store — should begin to prioritize mobile friendliness.

In the present day, applying a mobile-responsive theme and using tools such as Google's Mobile-Friendly Test and receive further recommendations on how to optimize your website is incredibly easy to. However, if you want to take things to the next level, you can develop a Progressive Web App (PWA) to provide your mobile users with fresh and memorable new experiences.

A PWA uses state-of-the-art web technologies to enable features like apps. Unlike classical mobile websites, when loading new content, a PWA doesn't need to refresh the entire page— nor is it necessary to access internet connectivity. They are also installable, which means that by adding a home screen shortcut, users can easily reuse them.

Progressive web apps have the ability for the mobile web to become the next great thing. This was originally suggested in 2015 by Google just a few years ago. But it has already received a lot of attention within such a short time because it is relatively easy to develop and deliver great user experience for the application.

A PWA is a complex project that could lead the direction of your mobile web presence in the future. But if you're totally new to PWAs, there are 7 tools and resources on the right track:

1.PWA.rocks

You need to have a deeper understanding of what they are capable of when it comes to developing a PWA. For examples, you can refer to PWA.rocks to see PWAs in action in several categories, including business, games, shopping, and social. This will help you to see what your PWA might look like in the future. Also, when conceptualizing what your PWA will offer mobile users, you can take inspiration from the available examples.

2.Knockout

Knockout is a JavaScript library that actually offers you to build a clean underlying data model, responsive display and editor user interfaces. Whenever you have you an UI sections that dynamically update (e.g., change depending on users actions or when an external data source changes), KO can help you implement it more easily and effectively.

Characteristics:

• Elegant dependency tracking updates the correct parts of your UI automatically when your data model changes.
• Declarative bindings A simple and straightforward way to connect parts of your UI to your data model. Using arbitrarily nested binding contexts, you can easily build a complex dynamic UI.
• Trivially extensible Implement custom behaviors in just a few lines of code as new declarative bindings for easy reuse.

Other benefits:

• Pure JavaScript library - works with any server or client-side technology
• Can be added on top of your existing web application without requiring major architectural changes
• Compact -13kb
• Works on any mainstream browser
• Comprehensive suite of specifications means its correct functioning can easily be proved on new browsers and platforms

Developers who are acquainted with Ruby on Rails, ASP.NET MVC or other MV * technologies may view MVVM as a form of MVC in real time.

3.PWABuilder

The quickest way to create a PWA is to use PWABuilder and quickly build a service worker that works by pulling and serving the "offline.html" from your web server whenever users lose internet connectivity. You can also send your PWA to the Android and iOS devices app store.

All you need to do to use PWABuilder is insert the URL of your website and then fill in additional details such as your name, site description, and preferred icon. You can also modify some properties like the screen orientation, language, and background color of your PWA. The platform will then generate a manifest automatically based on the information you provide.

4.AngularJS

Usually, JavaScript is the introductory language that students who want to learn web development read and learn. If you are a seasoned Java or. NET developer, then AngularJS is one of the best web applications JavaScript frameworks you can use. Nevertheless, their website provides a ton of guides, tutorials, and resources to help you learn your way around the platform.

The newest version, provides the same environment for mobile or desktop development. If you think Angular is too complex for your needs, you can choose React instead— a JavaScript library tailored to the development of UIs. Another alternative is Polymer, which can provide templates and other reusable components that can accelerate the development process of PWA.

5.Google Developers

For self-made bloggers or affiliate marketers, a PWA is not exactly a DIY project, but it can be done with the right resources. If you already have previous experience with content management systems but are totally clueless about developing web applications, then using Google Developers, a resource library that can help you learn how to code, you can get the basics down.

Google Developers have a detailed guide on how PWAs work, how one can be built, and how it can be run properly. It also covers other basics such as "add to home screen banner" enabling and using HTTPS.

6.Webpack

Webpack is a very useful tool for bundling resources from your JavaScript app, including non-code assets such as fonts and images. These would be treated as objects from JavaScript, which in turn allows them to be loaded rapidly. The platform also makes the management of dependencies significantly easier.

Remember that Webpack has a steep learning curve, which means that you'll spend many hours looking for tutorials and online guides. The great news is that on other sites, including the documentation section of Angular 4.0, the webpack is widely covered.

7.GitHub

Finally, GitHub is a website run by the community that maintains project repositories. It covers a wide range of topics related to coding, including JavaScript and PWA service workers. You can actually find PWA.rocks and Webpack repositories. This will help you to deepen your understanding.

There are a handful of repositories on GitHub today that involve PWAs. As you experiment with your first PWA, you can learn from these projects or start your own repository. GitHub now also has features for project management, enabling you to work with other developers remotely.

Conclusion

PWAs are the future of mobile web experiences, but they are not used by many brands at the moment. You are now fully able to create an outstanding PWA and establish an authoritative presence with the tools above. Just keep in mind that with the constantly evolving technologies, resources, and practices evolve too.

Janeth Kent

Licenciada en Bellas Artes y programadora por pasión. Cuando tengo un rato retoco fotos, edito vídeos y diseño cosas. El resto del tiempo escribo en MA-NO WEB DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT.