How to Build a React Progressive Web Application?

A Progressive Web Application is an online app that combines the finest features of native and web apps. It has an offline mode, geolocation, pushes alerts, and the ability to add to the home screen. These settings were previously exclusively available in native programs. PWAs work just like any other website and PWA Android app development has become prominent in India.

PWA technology is supported by a large ecosystem of web development tools and frameworks. Furthermore, every Android app development company in India is getting highly benefited since it will only have one cross-platform application for the time being. As a result, installation and maintenance are becoming significantly simpler and quicker.

PWA Advantages

• All users, regardless of browser preference, may benefit from progressive enhancement. The app will run on a range of browsers and will gracefully degrade when some features are unavailable while maintaining a nice user experience.
• On mobile devices, it provides a native-like experience. It has the look and feels of an Android application, even though it is a web app.
• PWAs can adjust to any screen size, including tablets, smartphones, iPads, and desktop computers. It adjusts automatically to fit into a new area or a tight spot.
• The app comes with offline capabilities and so even if there is no internet access the app remains usable or accessible.
• Push notifications are being used by PWAs, which pop up a notice to notify a friend request, current news, new message, or anything else. This makes the user re-launch the app and increases re-engaging him with the web app.

Interesting Stats

• According to Statista, React for PWA Android app development is utilized by more than 40% of corporations and freelance programmers globally. This makes it the most popular web framework in 2021.
• With 85 projects, React is the most popular technology on GitHub, making it the most accessible open-source framework.
• Several polls, including one done by the top 30 PWAs reports, found that react progressive web app developers had a 36% better average conversion rate than native mobile applications.
• Every Android app development company using PWA enjoys a 50% boost in client engagement, according to sources.
• According to the same analysis, development and maintenance have decreased by 33%. The analysis also shows that if PWA can satisfy all mobile web demands without the need for new or current apps, development and maintenance costs will reduce more than 33%.

PWA Development: Android App Development Process to Follow

Make sure you have the most recent version of Node installed, as well as a familiar code editor before you begin learning how to construct a web app. For many folks, Visual Studio Code is an excellent choice.

Step 1: Create a React App From Scratch

• The first stage is to develop a PWA. Create-react-app is necessary for this, as mentioned in the prior. If you don’t have it installed, you may start it using the following code:

npm i create-react-app -g

• To create a TypeScript React app using create-react-app, use the npx command:

npx create-react-app pwa-react-typescript –template typescript

• These steps will produce a TypeScript-based React web app for you to test locally:

cd pwa-react-typescript

yarn start

• Another way of creating a React app is to use the command:

create-react-app react-pwa

Step 2: Service Worker

Create-react-app provides the resources needed to develop a React PWA app for business. The CRA gives developers the relevant tools they need for PWA Android app development.

But what if you want to build an offline-capable progressive web app? The auto-generated service worker file must be configured for a progressive web app development that can be used offline. The index.js file may be located in the newly formed project’s directory. 

The file includes the unregistered Service Worker. To register it, the unregister() method must be replaced with a register() call. As a result, the topic of how to develop a React app or a React PWA app utilizing a service has arisen.

Step 3: Set up the Web App Manifest

The developers in the Android app development company should be aware that the metadata, or information, including in manifest.js in the public folder defines how the app looks to the user and explains how it appears upon launch. There is a link to manifest.json in the public/index.html file. To advertise the PWA on the Home screen, Chrome requires a manifest.json file. serviceWorker.js has registered the service worker file. This file will be produced with CRA when the app is developed, i.e. when it is built for production:

npm run build

Step 4: Putting PWA to the test

The creation of a React PWA requires keen monitoring. The software goes to the testing phase next. It’s time to get the Progressive Web Application tested since the app is completely built. Google has published a PWA checklist, and Lighthouse which serves useful to analyze your web app. It is a Chrome DevTools feature found in the relevant tab.

~ npm run build

~ npx sever build

Closure

In this article, we have discussed a wide range of fascinating PWA development processes, benefits, and stats. With the key advantages of utilizing React to build your PWA project, as well as how to create a progressive web app with React, we hope you find our variety of information beneficial.

If you are planning to partner with an Android app development company in India, make sure you check their works and portfolio and analyze if they suit your business PWA development needs.