Building Progressive Web Apps with PHP: A Complete Guide

What is a PWA?

Progressive Web Apps combine the best of web and native apps. They're fast, reliable, and can work offline. Best of all, you can build them with your existing PHP knowledge.

Key Components

• Service Worker: Enables offline functionality
• Web App Manifest: Makes your app installable
• HTTPS: Required for security

Creating the Manifest

{
    "name": "My App",
    "short_name": "App",
    "start_url": "/",
    "display": "standalone",
    "theme_color": "#FFA500"
}

Service Worker Basics

self.addEventListener("install", event => {
    event.waitUntil(
        caches.open("v1").then(cache => {
            return cache.addAll(["/", "/offline.html"]);
        })
    );
});

Benefits

• Works offline or on slow networks
• Installable on home screen
• No app store required
• Automatic updates

PWAs are the future of web applications. Start building yours today!