The Franconian
Coder Studio

After realizing that PWAs couldn’t fully meet my mobile project’s needs, I turned to WebView as a solution. Unlike hybrid frameworks, which often come with unnecessary overhead, WebView allows me to integrate my web application directly into a native mobile project. This approach gives me the flexibility to decide how much logic runs in the web environment versus the native one, all while maintaining a lightweight architecture. In this article, I’ll share how WebView has become my go-to solution for bridging web and native development, offering the best of both worlds without the complexity of hybrid frameworks.

As a strong advocate for web technologies, I’ve seen firsthand the potential of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs). However, the growing emphasis on using ‘pure’ web standards, often at the expense of frameworks, can be limiting. While standards provide a solid foundation, frameworks offer flexibility and efficiency that shouldn’t be dismissed. In my own work, I’ve hit the limits of web standards, particularly with native file system access and background processing on mobile devices. In this article, I’ll discuss why a balanced approach—embracing both standards and frameworks—is crucial for innovation and why rigid opinions can hinder progress in web development.

Software development is full of passionate debates about the ‘best’ programming languages, frameworks, and methodologies. But when the noise gets too loud, I turn away. Whether it’s the endless arguments over operating systems, the fervor around languages like Rust, or the rigid adherence to methodologies like TDD or Scrum, I’ve learned that the key is to choose what works best for your specific needs. In this article, I’ll share why I prioritize simplicity and practicality over hype, and why the right tools for the right tasks are more important than any one-size-fits-all solution.

While Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) are incredibly versatile, they still have limitations. Tasks like GPS tracking in the background or full file system access remain out of reach for web technologies. For my current project, this means most functionality can be handled by a PWA, but a native app is needed to fill the gaps. This ‘sidecar’ approach, while not ideal, offers a compromise until Web APIs evolve further. In this article, I’ll discuss the challenges of combining PWAs with native apps, the trade-offs involved, and whether this hybrid solution is worth pursuing.

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) are a powerful alternative to native apps, but they demand a rethink of how we handle updates and distribution. While app stores provide a centralized hub for discovering and updating apps, they also create monopolies and lengthy approval processes. PWAs, on the other hand, are always up-to-date and don’t rely on app stores, but they lack the centralized elegance of update notifications. In this article, I’ll explore the trade-offs between PWAs and app stores, and how this shift could redefine user expectations and app distribution in the future.