Board Optimization - Progressive Web App [PWA] for vBulletin

Progressive Web App for vBulletin

Overview:

Progressive Web App (PWA) is a collection of latest technologies for web and mobile apps.

A Progressive Web App is:

• Progressive - Works for every user, regardless of browser choice because it's built with progressive enhancement as a core tenet.
• Responsive - Fits any form factor: desktop, mobile, tablet, or whatever is next.
• Connectivity independent - Enhanced with service workers to work offline or on low-quality networks.
• App-like - Feels like an app, because the app shell model separates the application functionality from application content .
• Fresh - Always up-to-date thanks to the service worker update process.
• Safe - Served via HTTPS to prevent snooping and to ensure content hasn't been tampered with.
• Discoverable - Is identifiable as an "application" thanks to W3C manifest and service worker registration scope, allowing search engines to find it.
• Re-engageable - Makes re-engagement easy through features like push notifications.
• Installable - Allows users to add apps they find most useful to their home screen without the hassle of an app store.
• Linkable - Easily share the application via URL, does not require complex installation.

This product allows you to design a PWA for your forum using a simple service worker for offline webpage. For best experience, use this in combination with Web Push notifications. Read more about PWA here: https://developers.google.com/web/progressive-web-apps/



Pre-requisites:

To fully benefit from PWA, your forum must fulfill the following:

1. HTTPS enabled
2. Responsive style

Optional

1. Install Web Push Notifications, https://vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=326558
2. Upload your forum logo images with at least two sizes, 512x512 and 128x128 pixel

With PWA and web push, you no longer need an app on Play store.


To Install:

1. Upload the files from upload folder of attached zip to your forum root directory
2. Modify manifest.json file as per your forum requirement and upload it to your forum root directory.

   If you are using the Web Push Notifications product, you may already have manifest.json file on your server. Simply modify that file and fill the missing tags

3. Install the product using the xml file in AdminCP -> Plugins & Products -> Manage Products -> Add/Import Product.

Click Installed. Keep your mobile users engaged.


Backup/Warning:

This product does not alter your database, however it is always good practice to make regular backups and you should make a backup before installing ANY new mod.

As always, products are USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. I will provide support and do my best to help but no absolute guarantee is offered.


Demo

Visit https://www.vb4mobile.com using your smartphone browser. You will see a banner at the bottom asking you to add vB4Mobile to home screen.

If you run PWA audit using Chrome Developer Tools, it shows 100%.

Licence Agreement

This modification is provided "AS IS" without any liability whatsoever on the developer.
This modification is released under the All Rights Reserved licence.
You may not redistribute the package in whole or significant part.
All copyright notices must remain unchanged and visible.
You may provide phrase .xml files for other languages on any site,
but you may not provide the full product .xml file - only the phrases.

=====PLEASE DO NOT REDISTRIBUTE=====

This product is available on https://vbulletin.org only. No other sites may redistribute this mod. If you find this mod at any site besides the above please contact me by PM

Please "Mark as Installed" if you use this.
Donations are always welcome

Paid support is available for Responsive Style and setting up PWA on your forum.

[CharlieDelta]

Interesting. Will check this out.

[CharlieDelta]

The banner is not displaying when I visit https://www.vb4mobile.ml/ on my phone using both Chrome and Firefox browsers.

[iA1]

Originally Posted by CharlieDelta

The banner is not displaying when I visit https://www.vb4mobile.ml/ on my phone using both Chrome and Firefox browsers.

Is it an Android phone? I can see it on my android phone.

This products enables PWA for your site, but displaying the Add to Home Screen banner is browser dependent. Each browser decides how and when to display the banner or not to display it at all. We don't have any control over it. We only enable all the features required to display it.

[iA1]

See the icon on lower-right corner, beside the camera

Works on all Android devices. iOS is not yet supported.

Update:

For iOS, add this line in headinclude template:

<link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="https://yourdomain.com/logo192x192.png">

Replace the logo image link with a square image of 192x192 pixel.

[scottkoz20]

still no support for iOS correct?

[iA1]

Originally Posted by scottkoz20

still no support for iOS correct?

For iOS, add this line in headinclude template:

<link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="https://yourdomain.com/logo192x192.png">

Replace the logo image link with a square image of 192x192 pixel.

[scottkoz20]

Originally Posted by iA1

For iOS, add this line in headinclude template:

<link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="https://yourdomain.com/logo192x192.png">

Replace the logo image link with a square image of 192x192 pixel.

I had put this in the header, not headinclude...


Thanks,
SK