Notes on Manifest for Web Apps

Some notes review of https://w3c.github.io/manifest/, especially from a digital publishing perspective. This document is working draft with a request for comment due by 5 March 2015. DPUB was specifically asked to provide comments by [Web Apps] (https://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-webapps/2015JanMar/0614.html). ##Notes on the Spec Very broad overview:

• This is a centralized place to store (specific) metadata in JSON-LD
• Associating Metadata: The method for associating metadata, using <link> (and <meta> as fallback for older user agents)
• Method for signaling that an app is installable (i.e. accessible for browsing), but does not standardize install (means of accessing top-level browsing context)
• Navigation scope: URL that represents the scope of URLs that can be navigated within context, checked by algorithm – what does this do for us? Allows for deep linking and access to all content within scope, but offers alert (or similar) for elements out of scope (e.g. ads). This also enables linking across apps. (deep link = URL within scope of installed app). How does this work with [Packaging] (http://w3ctag.github.io/packaging-on-the-web/)?
• Display Modes: Method for developer to specify UI, using 4 display modes. User may override the default (note: extreme relevance to DPUB and personalization). Each mode has a fallback (browser is last in chain). (DPUB should review the modes – are these sufficient (ARIA: does PF need to go through this as well?)
• Associating Manifest: see [spec] (https://w3c.github.io/manifest/#associating-a-resource-with-a-manifest)
• Manifest Life-cycle: This section defines an algorithm for obtaining, processing, and applying a manifest. See spec
• Members of the manifest: Manifest is JSON document that contains startup parameters and application defaults for when a web application is launched. It contains the following elements:
• Name, short_name, scope, icons, display, orientation, start_url, density (pixel density of icon), sizes (member of icon), src (icon), type (icon MIMEtype)
• Many details regarding security

Questions for DPUB

• [Scope] (https://w3c.github.io/manifest/#scope-member): is this sufficient for digital pub?
• [Display Mode] (https://w3c.github.io/manifest/#display-modes): note connection to personalization
• Manifest Members Are additional members (example additional metadata about publication) of this set required to support digital publications? Should we attempt to link to other data about publication? (We probably do not want to include detailed metadata here; rather in other places.)