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Labs/F1/Modularity: Difference between revisions
→Background and Browser Web Modules
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F1 will move towards using Browser Web Modules (WebMod). A WebMod is based on the service-discovery portion of Open Web Apps: a WebMod has a manifest which includes a list of supported services that the browser can hook into. For example, the Facebook WebMod might provide the '''link-send''', '''image-send''', and '''status-update''' services. F1 invokes the Facebook WebMod with action '''link-send''' when the user indicates, via F1, that he wishes to share a link with Facebook friends. | F1 will move towards using Browser Web Modules (WebMod). A WebMod is based on the service-discovery portion of Open Web Apps: a WebMod has a manifest which includes a list of supported services that the browser can hook into. For example, the Facebook WebMod might provide the '''link-send''', '''image-send''', and '''status-update''' services. F1 invokes the Facebook WebMod with action '''link-send''' when the user indicates, via F1, that he wishes to share a link with Facebook friends. | ||
When F1 wishes to access sharing providers, it uses the WebMod framework to instantiate all relevant WebMods, each into its own iframe. F1 calls into the WebMod framework using a JavaScript API, and the WebMod framework communicates with each WebMod over '''postMessage'''. The key difference between a full-blown Open Web App and a WebMod is | When F1 wishes to access sharing providers, it uses the WebMod framework to instantiate all relevant WebMods, each into its own iframe. F1 calls into the WebMod framework using a JavaScript API, and the WebMod framework communicates with each WebMod over '''postMessage'''. The key difference between a full-blown Open Web App and a WebMod is meant to enhance browser functionality, while an Open Web App exists to provide loosely-coupled functionality to web content. Thus, a WebMod is almost always headless, while an Open Web App almost always presents a UI. A WebMod is effectively a postMessage-based javascript API. | ||
F1 will be a proving ground for WebMods, but also needs to be its own product. Thus, the complete WebMod architecture is described here, with generic pieces and F1-specifics carefully separated. | F1 will be a proving ground for WebMods, but also needs to be its own product. Thus, the complete WebMod architecture is described here, with generic pieces and F1-specifics carefully separated. | ||