A single line of CSS can enable slick multi-page transitions for web applications (and websites for those who maintain there's a difference), opening up new possibilities for web app architectures, and website experiences.
@view-transition {navigation: auto;}
The upcoming of native apps
The launch of the iPhone in 2008 coincided with (and likely ignited) a resurgence of the web. Native iPhone apps arrived, with their smooth, animated state transitions between views, panels and widgets sliding in and out, and satisfying, physics-driven responses to user interactions. The web's traditional multi-page architecture was no match; moving from one page to another was clunky, with screens going blank as new pages loaded over sluggish 3G networks.
This resulted in an article from Wired The Web Is Dead. Long Live the Internet, in which they stated that the web lost its relevance and competitive edge. The problem wasn’t just the lack of engaging transitions. Web apps also lacked access to platform APIs, such as address books, cameras, and Bluetooth—features leveraged by native apps to create viral growth and novel experiences. But the absence of smooth UI transitions certainly didn’t help.
Unfixable shortcomings
However, native apps also had some unfixable shortcomings, like the lack of SEO / discoverability. To be discovered you needed to be featured in the app store, which meant you had to pay Google and Apple. Additionally, you could not use any business model, as there were strict income rules in the app store. Finally, your app had to work on both iOS and Android, requiring a complex codebase that needed to be updated frequently. Therefore, native apps were limited in terms of growth and business model, and the multiple platforms led to high development costs.
The comeback of the web
The promise to make the web competitive again came from Single Page Applications (SPAs). They would allow you to create a website with the advantages of an app, but none of the disadvantages. But, as we learned over time, SPAs also had their shortcomings. There were SEO challenges, complex codebases, accessibility issues, slow loading times and maintenance headaches. Nevertheless, SPAs paved the way for more app-like experiences in websites.
Today, thanks to SPAs, we have access to almost all platform APIs on the web. The only big reason to choose an SPA over a website (or multi-page application) would be the smooth page transitions. But that has been fixed as well with View Transitions. There seems to be no reason left to choose for a native app or SPA. This means that the web has won after all. You (probably) no longer need an app. You just need a website.
This is article was first published on www.usecue.com.
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