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PHPWA Bundle

Turn your Symfony App into a Progressive Web App

Hi 👋🏼,

You're definitely here to learn more about Progressive Web Apps (PWA) and how to integrate them into your Symfony application. If you've landed here thanks to the wheel of fortune, no problem! Let's first explore what a PWA is.

What is a PWA?

Progressive Web Apps are modern web applications that provide a user experience similar to native apps, with the added advantage of being accessible directly from a web browser. Before delving into how to incorporate them into your Symfony application, let's take a closer look at what makes PWAs so compelling and powerful.

PWA benefits

Cost Efficiency and Development:

PWAs are generally cheaper to build compared to native apps, saving on development expenses. No need for supporting several languages or platforms.

PWAs enhance the user experience and accessibility:

Apps-Like UI and Feel: PWAs provide an app-like user interface and feel, easily installable on users' devices.
Offline Capabilities: PWAs function seamlessly offline, ensuring users can access content even without an internet connection.
Push Notifications: PWAs support push notifications, enhancing user engagement by keeping them informed.

PWAs excel in discoverability and maintenance aspects:

SEO Friendly: PWAs are SEO-friendly, making them easily discoverable through search engines.
Automatic Updates: PWAs can be set up for automatic updates, ensuring users always have the latest version without manual interventions.

PWAs come with technical advantages for developers:

Bypass the App Stores: PWAs can be distributed independently, bypassing the need for app store approval.
Device API Access: PWAs have access to device APIs, providing developers with more control and flexibility.
Faster Loading Times: PWAs load quickly, contributing to an efficient and responsive user experience.

How To Install/Remove A PWA?

For a Progressive Web App (PWA) to be installable, the Manifest file must include certain mandatory information that are listed on this page.

The PWA is not really installed. Your system will not download all the pages, assets, source code of your application and will not start a web server. The "installation" can be compared to a fully featured link to a web page, including application detail, icons or any other information defined in the manifest file. The browser will also "plus" application feautres to the host system.

To add or remove a Progressive Web App (PWA) from your browser, follow these general steps. Please note that the exact steps may vary slightly depending on the browser and version you are using.

These steps should help you add or remove a PWA from your browser, but keep in mind that the exact process might differ slightly based on updates and changes made to browsers over time.

Adding a PWA

Chrome

When navigating on a Progressive Web App, an icon will be visible on the right side of the URL toolbar. Clicking on it will open a dialog with the application detail and a button to install it.

This will create a shortcut on your desktop or in the app menu, and the PWA will open in a separate window.

Below an example on .

Microsoft Edge

The installation of a PWA is very similar to Chrome.

Firefox

To be written

Safari (iOS)

To be written

Removing a PWA:

Chrome

From the application, click on the three vertical dots and select "Uninstall AppXxx" and confirm.

Microsoft Edge

From the application, click on the three horizontal dots and select "App settings".

The application manager window will open. From this panel, you will be able to clear the application data or uninstall it.

Firefox

To remove a PWA from Firefox, open the PWA from your desktop or application folder. Within the app, navigate to the Firefox menu in the upper right corner, represented by three horizontal bars. From the dropdown, select 'Remove Site' or 'Delete App', then confirm your choice. This removes the PWA from your device.

Safari (iOS)

Removing a PWA from an iOS device is straightforward. Locate the PWA icon on your home screen or in your app library. Press and hold the icon until a menu appears, then select 'Remove App'. Confirm the removal when prompted. This deletes the PWA from your iOS device.

Android

On an Android device, locate the PWA icon in your app drawer or home screen. Long-press the icon, then select the 'Uninstall' option. Confirm your choice if prompted. This will remove the PWA from your Android device.

Windows 10+

A Progresive Web App appears like a normal application in the software manager. Windows+X, "Install Applications" then select the three horizontal dots of the application you want uninstall and confirm.

Bundle Installation

To install the bundle, the recommended way is using Composer:

No Flex recipe exists for this bundle, but you can create a configuration file that will be modified as you progress in the integration of the features.

The integration in your application is very simple. You are only required to add a Twig function inside the end of the <head> tag of your HTML pages.

You may need to clear the cache after the bundle is installed

The Manifest

Application Information

For a Progressive Web App (PWA) to be installable, the manifest file must include certain mandatory information. These details help the browser understand how the application should be presented to the user and its behavior upon installation.

While not all of these properties are strictly mandatory, a manifest must at least contain the minimum information for the browser to prompt the user to install the application. In practice, it is recommended to include as much information as possible to enhance the user experience.

Here are the key properties of the manifest that are typically considered necessary for PWA installation:

name

Scope

The scope parameter in a Progressive Web App (PWA) manifest file is an important feature as it defines the set of URLs that the browser considers to be within your app. When a user navigates to a URL within the scope, they are kept within the full app experience.

/config/packages/pwa.yaml

pwa:
    manifest:
        enabled: true
        scope: "/"

Defining Scope:

The scope can be a relative path or an absolute URL.
If omitted, it defaults to the location of the manifest.
The start_url must be within the scope.

Best Practices:

Keep the scope as restrictive as possible to maintain control over your app's user experience.
Set the start_url to a URL within the app's scope so it starts in the right context.
Test the scope to ensure it includes all the necessary pages and excludes any that should not be part of the PWA experience.

ID

One of the parameters included in this file is the id property. This parameter is crucial as it uniquely identifies the PWA across browsers and devices, enabling a consistent user experience.

This id parameter should be consistent and not change, even if other manifest properties are updated. It's important for maintaining the application's identity for things like saved user preferences and home screen shortcuts.

When absent, an ID is determined using the start_url parameter, the manifest location and its scope. Adding an id to the manifest allows to change the start_url and the manifest path. Note that the domain shall not change.

To be written

Direction and Language

The PWA dir and lang parameters.

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) can be tailored for different languages and writing directions through the use of the dir and lang parameters in the HTML tag.

By properly setting the dir and lang parameters, you ensure better user experience, accessibility, and potentially improved SEO for your PWA.

Please note that those values should be in accordance with the ones set as <html> tag attributes.

Description

The description member is a string that allows the developer to describe the purpose of the web application. It serves as the accessible description of an installed web application.

/config/packages/pwa.yaml

pwa:
    manifest:
        enabled: true
        description: "This application helps you donate to worthy causes."

IARC Rating ID

The International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) rating system ID. This is not mandatory but is useful for digital content that requires an age rating.

Icons

To integrate the icon details into the Progressive Web App (PWA) manifest file, ensure that each icon listed is accompanied by its respective size. For example, icon-256x256.png is indicated as having a size of 256px by 256px. This is crucial for providing clear visual elements across different devices and resolutions.

The sizes attribute indicates the size of the icon to the browser. For PNG or JPEG icons, specify the dimensions (e.g., 48, 96, 256). For vector icons, you can use "any" as they are scalable without losing quality. The format attribute is also important as it tells the browser what the file format is, helping it to render the image correctly or the browser to select the most suitable format.

Screenshots

Progressive Web App screenshots enable richer installation UI. As shown below, by default only the application name and short name are visible.

However, by including screenshots in the web app manifest, the installation experience can be significantly improved. These screenshots give users a visual preview of the app, enhancing their understanding and increasing the likelihood of installation.

Screenshots should showcase the most important functionalities of your application and be of high quality to attract users.

In the example below, a selection of screenshots are visible and the user can navigate to show them all. On mobile devices, the interface is different, but shows the same information.

Configuration

You can add as many screenshots as you need. But keep in mind that the host device or the platform may show only a selection of them.

`src` Parameter

See the description .

Ensure that the screenshots you provide are of high quality. Crisp and clear images can make a significant difference in how users perceive your app. Always aim for the highest resolution possible, without compromising the load times or performance of the installation interface.

Remember, these screenshots are part of your app's first impression on potential users. Take the time to choose them wisely, ensuring they accurately represent your app and its key features.

`type` Parameter

This parameter is similar to .

`label` Parameter

The label parameter provides a way to give a brief description or caption for the screenshot. This helps users to understand what the feature or screen is about before they have installed the app. It assists in providing context and can be particularly useful when displaying a series of screenshots.

Example:

`platform` Parameter

The platform parameter can be used to specify which operating system the screenshot is intended for. This helps to display the appropriate screenshots for users on different devices. For instance, you might have specific screenshots for Android users versus those using a desktop browser.

Example:

Possible values are listed below. This list is not exhaustive.

Device platform identifiers:
- "android"
- "chromeos"

`form_factor` Parameter

The form_factor parameter allows you to define the intended device form factor for your screenshots. This can help cater to different device types, such as mobile, tablet, or desktop, ensuring that the screenshots displayed are relevant to the user's device.

Possible values include:

"narrow": Suggests the screenshot is best suited for narrow screen devices, like phones.
"wide": Implies the screenshot is intended for wider screen devices, such as tablets or desktops.

Example:

Shortcuts

PWA shortcuts can be added to any web app manifest by including the shortcuts property, which is an array of objects each representing a shortcut. This can enhance user engagement and make your app more accessible.

When designing shortcuts for your Progressive Web App, keep the following tips in mind:

Keep It Simple: Shortcuts should be straightforward and provide clear value to the user.
Use Icons: Visual representation makes shortcuts more recognizable and user-friendly.
Limit the Number: Too many shortcuts can overwhelm users; focus on the most important actions.

Adding shortcuts is a small but effective addition to enhance your PWA's user experience.

Remember to periodically review your shortcuts to ensure they remain relevant and beneficial to your users. Shortcuts are a dynamic feature and should evolve as your application grows and changes.

Configuration

`name` and `short_name` Parameters

The name parameter in each shortcut object is used to define the full name of the shortcut, which will be displayed to the user. It should be descriptive enough to communicate the action that will be taken when the shortcut is activated, but also concise enough to be quickly understood.

Best Practices for Naming Shortcuts:

Be Descriptive: Choose a name that clearly explains what the shortcut does (e.g., "Add to Favorites" is better than just "Add").
Be Consistent: Use a consistent naming convention across all shortcuts to prevent user confusion.
Avoid Jargon: Use language that is easily understandable by all users, regardless of their technical knowledge.

Don't forget to include the short_name parameter if the name is too long to be displayed in full on all devices. The short_name is a more concise version of name, which can be used when there's insufficient space.

`url` Parameter

The url parameter specifies the URL to which the user should be navigated when they activate the shortcut. It indicates the location or feature within the application that corresponds to that specific shortcut.

The URL can be a controller route name, with or without parameters, an absolute or a relative URL.

The path_type_reference option expects an integer where:

0: absolute URL (e.g. https://app.com/foo/bar)
1: absolute path (e.g. /foo/bar)

With absolut URLs, please make sure the Request Context is set. See for more informaiton.

`description` Parameter

The description parameter helps the user understanding the purpose of the shortcut.

`icons` Parameter

Adding icons to shortcuts not only makes them visually appealing but also helps users to quickly identify the action they represent. Icons for shortcuts can be defined within the icons array and it's important that these are clear and relevant to the function of the shortcut. Icons should be provided in multiple sizes to ensure that they display well on all devices.

See the definition .

The presence of a 96x96 icon is highly recommended for shortcuts.

Protocol Handlers

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) have the ability to handle web protocols, which means they can respond to specific URL schemes. For example, a PWA can register to handle mailto: links, so that clicking on an e-mail link can open a compose window in the PWA instead of opening the default mail client.

The application can declare custom protocols using the prefix web+.

With protocol handlers, your PWA can provide a more integrated user experience, functioning more like a native application.

File Handlers

If your PWA is able to load certain type of files, you can declare in the Manifest file the supported MIME types and tell the host system you are able to manage those files.

To declare the supported file types, you can add a file_handlers entry to your web app manifest. This entry specifies the types of files that the app can open, along with an action URL that handles the opening of those files.

/config/packages/pwa.yaml

pwa:
    manifest:
        enabled: true
        file_handlers:
            - action: "/open"
              accept:
                  - "image/png": [".png"]
                  - "image/jpeg": [".jpg", ".jpeg"]

By adding a file handler for the above image types, your PWA will announce to the operating system that it can handle these types of files. When users open files with these extensions, your PWA will be suggested as an application to open them with.

The action property refers to the URL within the PWA context that will handle the file interaction. Ensure that your PWA is properly set up to handle file interactions at the specified URL.

The action property can be a relative URL, absolute URL or an route name. It is managed the same way as showed in the shortcuts section.

Share Target

The Share Target feature enhances the functionality of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) by seamlessly integrating them into the native operating system's sharing capabilities. This means that when users come across content that they want to share from any app or browser, your PWA can appear in the list of sharing options alongside other native applications.

In the example below, the PWA indicates it can receive image files. The files are sent to the application using a POST request to /share-target and multipart/form-data encoding. The shared file is in the request body file member.

The POST request is ideally replied with an HTTP 303 See Other redirect to avoid multiple POST requests from being submitted if a page refresh was initiated by the user, for example.

`action` Parameter

The URL of the share target. See the for the details.

`method` Parameter

The HTTP request method to use. Either GET or POST.

Use POST if the shared data includes binary data like image(s), or if it changes the target app, for example, if it creates a data point like a bookmark.

`enctype` Parameter

The encoding of the share data when a POST request is used. Ignored with GET requests.

`params` Parameter

An object to configure the share parameters.

Object values can be specified and will be used as query parameters. Unless otherwise noted, members are optional.

title: Name of the query parameter to use for the title of the document being shared.
text: Name of the query parameter for the text (or body) of the message being shared.
url : Name of the query parameter for the URL to the resource being shared.

Complete Example

The Service Worker

Configuration

The Service Worker is a Javascript file you can declare in the configuration file. It will be automatically served by the bundle as long as your template file uses the Twig pwa method.

"sw.js" is served by Asset Mapper and refers to the file in /assets/sw.js folder of your project. It can be stored elsewhere if needed.

To start, just put an empty file. It will be automatically populated by the bundle and will evolves depending on your application needs.

The following example is exactly the same:

As it has an impact on the Twig pages, you may need to clear the cache when the service worker is enabled.

By default, the public URL of the service worker will be /sw.js. You can change this URL using the dest configuration option.

Service Worker Initialization

The Service Worker initialization script uses either Workbox Window if enabled or a smiliar Vanilla JS script.

When Workbox is enabled, its initialization script typically loads from an external URL. However, for improved performance and security, we advise installing it via Asset Mapper instead of relying on remote loading.

The two other options are also available:

Other Options

The Service worker section has other options you may be interested in.

Scope

The scope parameter defaults to /. It is a string representing the service worker's registration scope. It should be aligned with the .

Cache

The use_cache parameter is enable by default. It is a boolean that sets how the HTTP cache is used for service worker script resources during updates.

Skip Waiting

The skip_waiting parameter is disabled by default. It ensures that any new versions of a service worker will take over the page and become activated immediately. It is safe in general, but may create issues when the old service worker is handling events while it is updated.

Content Security Policy

If your application uses Content Security Policy (CSP) to declare and restrict script execution, the Service Worker will not be loaded as expected.

Fortunately, you are able to pass attributes such as a nonce to the script directive.

In the example below, the nonce attribute is managed by nelmio/security-bundle.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  {{ pwa(swAttributes= {nonce: csp_nonce('script')}) }}
</head>
<body>
  ...
</body>
</html>

Custom Service Worker Rule

If needed, you can define custom sections in the service worker appended by your own services and depending on your application configuration or requirements.

To do so, you can create a service that implements SpomkyLabs\PwaBundle\ServiceWorkerRule\ServiceWorkerRule.

The method process shall return valid JS as a string. This script will be executed by browsers.

Site Manifest Cache

The Site Manifest file can be cache by the bundle. This feature is enabled by default and mainly used to avoid error messages in the console and adds no significant benefits over the time.

Asset Caching

Contains a breaking change compared to v1.0.x

The cache is populated with all assets managed by Asset Mapper. By default, it includes all types of well recognized assets such as images, stylesheets or scripts:

This can be changed using the next configuration options:

Image Caching

By default, a maximum of 60 images are cached for 1 year. The supported image extensions extensions are as follows:

/\.(ico|png|jpe?g|gif|svg|webp|bmp)$/

This can be changed using the next configuration options

/config/packages/pwa.yaml

pwa:
    serviceworker:
        enabled: true
        src: "sw.js"
        workbox:
            image_cache:
                enabled: true
                max_age: 30 days
                max_entries: 200
                regex: '/\.(png|jpe?g|svg|webp)$/'

This cache is different from the Asset one as it corresponds to images that are not managed by Asset Mapper

Font Caching

By default, 30 fonts can be cached for 1 year. This only comprises fonts served directly by your application. The supported fonts are as follows:

This can be changed using the next configuration options:

Google Font Caching

Fonts served by Google Fonts have a dedicated rule. It is enabled by default and you can disable it or customize some parameters.

Offline Fallbacks

Workbox makes it easy to create robust offline experiences in web applications. When a user navigates to a page without an internet connection, instead of showing an error, your application can serve a predefined fallback page, image or font.

/config/packages/pwa.yaml

pwa:
    serviceworker:
        enabled: true
        src: "sw.js"
        workbox:
            offline_fallback:
                page: 'app_offline_page'
                image: 'images/offline.svg'
                font: 'fonts/normal.ttf'

page_fallback can be a relative URL, a route name or a route name with parameters. See URL parameter for more information.

image_fallback and font_fallback refer to assets delivered by Asset Mapper or an URL to the font file.

CDN and Versions

By default, the bundle uses Workbox 7.0.0 which was released end of May 2023. The files are provided by the bundle so that all files are served by your server.

If needed, you can use a CDN and a different version.

Custom Cache Strategy

TO BE WRITTEN

Symfony UX

Connection Status

The Connection Status component is designed to monitor and react to changes in the user's internet connection status. This component provides a simple way to show a notification or change the state of your application when the user's device goes offline or comes back online.

Usage

To use the Connection Status component, include it in your application and initialize it with the necessary options. Below is an example of how to integrate the Connection Status component into your project:

Parameters

onlineMessage: Message displayed when online
offlineMessage: Message displayed when offline

Actions

None

Targets

message: HTML tag to update with the connection status message. Multiple targets allowed.
attribute: HTML attribute data-connection-status="ONLINE" (or "OFFLINE") will be set depending on the connection status. In the example above, this attribute is used to change the applicable classes

Events

On status change, the event status-changed is dispatched. The payload property contains the following data:

status: "OFFLINE" or "ONLINE"
message: the message set as parameter or the default value.

Prefetch on demand

Modern browsers are able to prefetch pages. Let say an article is displayed to the user. This article has related articles or pages the user may read. These pages can be prefetched so that when the user will click on the related link, the page will be available instantly.

To acheive that, you can add the follwing HTML tag:

<link rel="prefetch" href="/article-2">
<link rel="prefetch" href="/article-3">
<link rel="prefetch" href="/author-18">

Another approch could be the use of the provided Stimulus Component to prefetch on demand and depending on the user navigation on the page. For example, no link tags are set and mouseover or any other user action will trigger the prefetch of the related pages.

Usage

Parameters

None

Actions

prefetch: asks the Service Worker to prefetch a list of URLs set in the urls parameter.

Targets

None

Events

None

Sync Broadcast

TO BE WRITTEN

Usage

Parameters

None

BackgroundSync Form

TO BE WRITTEN

Usage

Parameters

None

Image Management

Icons

Progressive Web Apps may have icons of multiple formats and sizes to be correctly shown on targeted plaforms. This task may become boring as your application evolves. The bundle provides a simple console command to ease the creation of these icons.

Icons shall be square images

Experimental Features

Non-Standard Parameters

The following parameters are not standard and may not work properly on all browsers and systems. Please use with caution.

Launch Handler

The Launch Handler API allows developers to control how your PWA is launched. For example if it uses an existing window or creates a new one, and how the app's target launch URL is handled.

This has one sub-field, client_mode, which contains a string value specifying how the app should be launched and navigated to.

If not specified, the default client_mode value is auto. Available values are:

Display Override

The display_override property in a PWA manifest allows developers to specify a preferred display mode with fallbacks for cases where a certain display mode is not supported by the platform or browser. This ensures that the best possible display mode is used for the PWA without errors.

In the example below, the browser will consider the following display-mode fallback chain in this order: fullscreen → minimal-ui → standalone.

Display override objects are display-mode strings, the possible values are:

Display Mode

Related Applications

The prefer_related_applications member is a boolean value that specifies that applications listed in related_applications should be preferred over the web application.

If the prefer_related_applications member is set to true, the user agent might suggest installing one of the related applications instead of this web application.

Currently known possible values for the platform member are as follows;

EDGE Side Panel

Progressive Web Apps can opt-in to be pinned to the sidebar in Microsoft Edge.

The sidebar in Microsoft Edge allows users to easily access popular websites and utilities alongside their browser tabs. The content in the sidebar augments the user's primary task by enabling side-by-side browsing and minimizing the need to switch contexts between browser tabs.

You can tell EDGE your PWA should only be loaded in the sidebar and the minimum sidebar size.

Translations

The bundle leverages on Symfony Translation component is available. The texts you pass for almost all names, short names, descriptions, labels... can be translation keys.

This feature is in early development stage and may not work as expected. Use with caution

Widgets (Win10+)

To be written

Resource Caching

Developers can build more resilient and user-friendly web applications that perform reliably under various network conditions. Also, it is possible to warm cache a selection of resources. This is powerfull as it allows applications to partially work offline.

The default strategy applied for resources is Network First i.e. the resource from the web server is fetched first. In case of failure, the cached data is served. By default, the service worker will wait 3 seconds before serving the cached version. This value can be configured.

Please note that you can refer to any URLs, but only URLs served by your application will be cached.

Match Callback

The match_callback option is designed to specify the condition used to determine which requests should be cached based on the request URL. This option can take different types of values, such as

A regular expression
A Javasrcipt callback
A prefixed statement

Regular Expression

You can directly pass a regular expression as a string or using the JS RegExp object.

match_callback: '"/styles/.*\.css"'
match_callback: 'new RegExp("/styles/.*\.css")'

Quotes are important!

Javascript Callback

Workbox gives you the url, the params, the request and the event objects. You can use any of those parameters to match with your cache.

match_callback: '({url}) => url.pathname === "/special/url"'
match_callback: '({request}) => request.destination === "image"'

Quotes are important!

Prefixed Statements

This bundle allows the use of handlers to avoid the use of JS and simplify the way you declare the callbacks.

For instance, using startsWith: /pages/ as the match_callback value means that any request URL that begins with /pages/ will be considered a match and thus eligible for caching under the defined cache_name.

Or destination: image is identical to match_callback: '({request}) => request.destination === "image"'.

This approach empowers developers to optimize their web application's performance by strategically caching resources based on URL patterns, ensuring that users enjoy faster load times and a smoother overall experience, even in offline scenarios or under suboptimal network conditions.

Provided Match Callback Handlers:

Pattern

Description

Example

Custom Match Callback Handler

If needed, you can create your own Match Callback Handler. It must implement SpomkyLabs\PwaBundle\MatchCallbackHandler\MatchCallbackHandler and should return a value compatible with.

In the following example, setting match_callback: my-videos is a simplified way to match only videos served from a specific origin.

The class shall be declared as a service.

Cache Name Parameter

The cache_name parameter is used to customize the cache name. If not set, a default value is defined.

Strategy Parameter

The strategy option corresponds to the Workbox strategy.

CacheFirst (Cache Falling Back to Network)

This strategy serves responses from the cache first, falling back to the network if the requested resource is not in the cache. It is ideal for assets that do not update frequently.

NetworkFirst (Network Falling Back to Cache)

The reverse of Cache First, this strategy tries to fetch the response from the network first. If the request fails (e.g., due to being offline), it falls back to the cache. Suitable for content where freshness is more critical.

StaleWhileRevalidate

This strategy serves cached responses immediately while silently fetching an updated version from the network in the background for future use. It is a good compromise for resources that need to be updated occasionally without compromising the user experience with loading delays.

NetworkOnly

A strategy that only uses the network, not attempting to cache or match responses from the cache. This is useful for non-cachable responses such as API requests returning user-specific data.

CacheOnly

Conversely, the Cache Only strategy serves responses from the cache, ignoring the network. This is ideal for offline applications where you want to ensure that only cached resources are served.

Leveraging Workbox strategies allows you to fine-tune how your application handles caching, ensuring that your users get the best possible experience whether they are online or offline.

Network Timeout

The Workbox network_timeout option indicates the number of seconds before the request falls back to the strategy. It is only available with NetworkFirst and NetworkOnly.

Max Entries / Max Age

When set, this indicates the expiration strategy used for the resource cache. max_age can be in seconds or a human-readable string

max_age: 3600 and max_age: 1 hour are similar.

max_entries is a positive number. When the cache reaches the number of cached resources, old resources are removed.

Range Requests

When making a request, a range header can be set that tells the server to return only a portion of the full request. This is useful for certain files like a video file, where a user might change where to play the video.

By setting the range_requests: true, this type of requests will be supported.

Broadcast Parameter

When accessing a page with the StaleWhileRevalidate strategy, the Service Worker will verify if a page update exists and will save it in the cache if any.

The broadcast parameter will tell the Service Worker to send a broadcast message in case of an update. This is usefull to warn the user it is reading an outdated version of the page and ask for a page reload.

In the example below, the message is catched and, if it is of type "workbox-broadcast-update" and the URL matches with the current URL, a toast notification is displayed for 5 seconds.

Broadcast Header

By default, the page header used to check if the page is outdated or not are Content-Length, ETag, Last-Modified. These headers can be changed.

Cacheable Responses

By default, all responses with a 0 or 200 status code and that match with the match_callback option will be cached. It is possible to tell Workbox to cache only resources with a dedicated header or other status codes:

Workbox

This bundle provides a simple Workbox integration path. Service Workers are not that easy to write. It can become a nightmare when dealing with mutliple caching rules or offline capabilities.

Workbox takes the pain out of service worker creation by providing a set of tools and best practices that can be used out of the box. It’s like having an expert by your side, guiding you through the complexities of browser caching and service worker logic.

This bundle builds on top of Workbox and includes several options so you don't need to write a line of Javascript to have a fully functional Service Worker.

Workbox provides various caching strategies to make it easy to manage how requests are handled by the service worker. One of the features is the ability to maintain a page cache for certain URLs or routes.

A warm cache refers to pre-loading URLs during the service worker installation phase. This ensures that those URLs are cached and readily available even before they are requested by the user.

The URLs to be pre-loaded are likely the pages that users will definitely navigate to. For example, the main functionality of your application, the pricing page or a page with the latest news that users will definitely read.

When the service worker is installed, Workbox will automatically cache the resources specified in the list. These files will remain cached and will be instantly available to the user, contributing to a swift user experience.

Hereafter the main benefits of Precache:

Faster Load Times: Since assets are stored locally, web applications can load faster, providing a better user experience.
Offline Support: Precached assets ensure that the application is usable even without a network connection.
Consistency: All users receive the same version of files, ensuring a consistent experience.

Key Features

Precaching: Workbox can precache the assets in your web app and keep them up to date.
Runtime Caching: Flexible strategies for handling runtime requests, such as stale-while-revalidate, cache first, and network first.
Request Routing: Easily define how different types of requests are handled by your service worker.

Disabling Workbox

Workbox is enabled by default. You can disable it completely if you do not need it.

1.0.x

PHPWA Bundle

hashtagWhat is a PWA?

hashtagPWA benefits

How To Install/Remove A PWA?

hashtagAdding a PWA

hashtagChrome

hashtagMicrosoft Edge

hashtagFirefox

hashtagSafari (iOS)

hashtagRemoving a PWA:

hashtagChrome

hashtagMicrosoft Edge

hashtagFirefox

hashtagSafari (iOS)

hashtagAndroid

hashtagWindows 10+

Bundle Installation

The Manifest

Application Information

Scope

hashtagDefining Scope:

hashtagBest Practices:

ID

Direction and Language

Description

IARC Rating ID

Categories

Icons

Screenshots

hashtagConfiguration

hashtagsrc Parameter

hashtagtype Parameter

hashtaglabel Parameter

hashtagplatform Parameter

hashtagform_factor Parameter

Shortcuts

hashtagConfiguration

hashtagname and short_name Parameters

hashtagBest Practices for Naming Shortcuts:

hashtagurl Parameter

hashtagdescription Parameter

hashtagicons Parameter

Protocol Handlers

hashtag

File Handlers

Share Target

hashtagaction Parameter

hashtagmethod Parameter

hashtagenctype Parameter

hashtagparams Parameter

Complete Example

The Service Worker

Configuration

hashtagService Worker Initialization

hashtagOther Options

hashtagScope

hashtagCache

hashtagSkip Waiting

Content Security Policy

Custom Service Worker Rule

Site Manifest Cache

Asset Caching

Image Caching

Font Caching

hashtagGoogle Font Caching

Offline Fallbacks

CDN and Versions

Custom Cache Strategy

Symfony UX

Connection Status

hashtagParameters

hashtagActions

hashtagTargets

hashtagEvents

Prefetch on demand

hashtagParameters

hashtagActions

hashtagTargets

hashtagEvents

What is a PWA?

PWA benefits

Adding a PWA

Chrome

Microsoft Edge

Firefox

Safari (iOS)

Removing a PWA:

Chrome

Microsoft Edge

Firefox

Safari (iOS)

Android

Windows 10+

Defining Scope:

Best Practices:

Configuration

`src` Parameter

`type` Parameter

`label` Parameter

`platform` Parameter

`form_factor` Parameter

Configuration

`name` and `short_name` Parameters

Best Practices for Naming Shortcuts:

`url` Parameter

`description` Parameter

`icons` Parameter

`action` Parameter

`method` Parameter

`enctype` Parameter

`params` Parameter

Service Worker Initialization

Other Options

Scope

Cache

Skip Waiting

Google Font Caching

Parameters

Actions

Targets

Events

Parameters

Actions

Targets

Events

Parameters

Parameters

Defining Scope:

Best Practices:

What is a PWA?

PWA benefits

The `dir` Parameter

The `lang` Parameter

Configuration

`sizes` Parameter

`format` Parameter

`purpose` Parameter

Adding a PWA

Chrome

Microsoft Edge

Firefox

Safari (iOS)

Removing a PWA:

Chrome

Microsoft Edge

Firefox

Safari (iOS)

Android

Windows 10+

Parameters

Google Font Caching

Targets

Events

Parameters

Actions