PWA Builder: How to Create Progressive Web Apps

PWA Builder Tutorial

Progressive Web App

What is a Progressive Web App and how is it different from a native app? What platforms are available for the development of these apps — and what does full code, low code, and no code actually mean?

The PWA framework supports things like sending notifications, putting an icon on the user's home screen, using the camera/video functions of the phone, and so forth. The PWA framework does not include things like, say, using Bluetooth. So, it doesn't have all the functions of a native app, but it is close.

You can use JavaScript, PHP PWA building to develop a PWA from scratch. That would be full code. You can also use a low code PWA platform; a platform that develops Progressive Web Apps with minimal, but some coding. Most of these platforms are designed for developers, so they require that you understand the basics of app development.

Lumavate is a no code PWA builder. That means that it creates PWAs without any code at all. You can create a PWA just like you might create a WordPress site or even a Word document. It's a WYSIWYG drag-and-drop editor where you put elements and functions in.

Lumavate further provides access to the Lumavate Library, which is further powered by open source Ionic Framework components. What does that mean? Using Lumavate templates and the Lumavate library, you can create very complicated app systems without knowing any programming at all.

Progressive Web Apps aren't native apps and they aren't just "web apps." They are hybrid apps that reside in the space between and are becoming a very popular method of driving mobile engagement. And a Progressive Web App framework is likely to become standard moving forward into the future.

PWA App Builder

Let's say you want to build a Progressive Web App and integrate it into your mobile marketing strategy. The first thing you might do is look up what the best Progressive Web App builder is. The best PWA builder, of course, is the one that's going to help your strategy the most. Lumavate makes it possible for multiple marketers to build an app at the same time, continuously reusing apps, modifying them, and improving on them. Lumavate ensures that a PWA can be used across all operating systems and puts all the control in a marketer's hands.

With Lumavate, you can start with a "Starter Kit," a template designed to help build PWAs fast. The PWAbuilder then lets you add components from the Lumavate Library. Lumavate is the only PWA app builder that both requires no code at all and is tailored to and for marketers. While there may be another PWA builder Android or iOS, these PWA builders require some programming knowledge. If you use the Microsoft PWA builder, you will need to know the basics of app design.

PWA Generator

Now, there's also such a thing as a PWA generator. There's the Angular PWA Icon Generator, the iOS PWA Splash Screen Generator, etc. They generate components for an app, such as icons, images, colors, etc. But they don't generate the entire PWA; they just generate components for it. These components can then be brought into a platform such as Lumavate.

Lumavate isn't just a PWA component generator. Lumavate is a fully-featured no code PWA builder. While you can use a PWA builder image generator, PWA asset generator, or other PWA generator along with Lumavate, you probably won't need to. That's because Lumavate already starts with a very robust template and includes assets so that you don't need a PWA icon generator online or a service worker generator.

The Lumavate Library borrows from the basic principles of open source, insofar as it ensures that there are code snippets, components, and utilities that can be shared and used on the platform. So, users don't need to create anything from scratch, but they do have options if they want to further customize their Starter Kits and add even more detailed functionality to their apps.

There's no such thing as an automated PWA generator. If there was, it would be a very simple generator without any advanced features. But Lumavate is so easy to use that it might as well be a generator, with the design elements, templates, tutorials, and Components that are ready and waiting to be dragged into the platform.

PWA Builder Tutorial

Once you've decided to create a PWA, what's the actual process of building one? You can always start with a PWA tutorial for beginners. But if you're not a programmer or a developer, you probably don't want to work with a PWA tutorial from scratch.

Marketers with no coding experience can look at a Lumavate PWA tutorial PDF and get started immediately. Through the simple PWA tutorial, marketers will be guided to choose their starter kit, their components, and be guided through adding functionality. Lumavate has the best PWA tutorials for those designing a no code PWA app because Lumavate is actually the only no code app platform.

Per the best PWA tutorials, you'll start with a free app builder like Lumavate. In the Lumavate PWA tutorial, you'll give your app a name, select the font and brand colors, and then add pages to your app. You can add Components and Features, keep your pages organized, and drag and drop the components. You hit publish to make your app live. That's the end: That's it for the PWA tutorial. As you can see, the PWA builder tutorial makes it fast and easy to create your own app.

With a low code app development tutorial, you'll need to do some configuring, modifying, and even programming. But with Lumavate's PWA builder, you don't need to do any of that; everything's already handled for you.

PWA Tools

What are some of the different PWA development tools available? Let's take a deep dive into PWA tools, including the Lumavate Library.

Google Lighthouse is a web app tool that doesn't help you create PWA apps, but it does help you determine whether your apps are working correctly. When you run an app through Google Lighthouse, it'll do things such as determine whether your PWA images are loading quickly enough. It will tell you if you have issues with your site's responsiveness or design.

There are other tools for PWA support, you can download a PWA template, or you can run an SEO PWA test online. All these things can help you make an existing app better, but it can't help you actually develop a PWA.

Lumavate helps you develop a PWA from scratch with no programming needed. Once you've developed your PWA with Lumavate, you can test it out with services such as Google Lighthouse. Lumavate is already designed to make the best, most responsive, lowest latency, and high speed apps, so you should be able to pass a Google Lighthouse assessment with ease. Otherwise, the Google Lighthouse assessment will tell you exactly what you need to update.

You can also use PWA tools such as the Ionic Framework Components through the Lumavate Library, which further augments the features and solutions that you can add to your Progressive Web Apps.

PWA Tutorial React

There are a lot of tutorials out there to build PWAs. Most of them assume that you have some experience in programming for the web. A PWA tutorial Angular JS, PWA with Java Tutorial, PWA tutorial Point, or PWA tutorial React will all be based on specific technologies. You can go through a PWA tutorial Github to learn more about the founding elements of PWAs, but you're not likely to understand it unless you have a programming background.

As an example, let's take a look at a PWA tutorial React. React Native is a JavaScript framework that's designed to help individuals develop native apps using web technology. But it's still intended for native apps rather than web apps; you'll package the app for download on iOS or Android. One of the major advantages to a progressive web app is that it doesn't have to be downloaded by the user.

Further, to use React you would need to have an understanding of HTML5, JavaScript, and CSS. There's no hand-holding involved: You need to know how to program. So, it's not really a great option for those who aren't programmers, and it's definitely not an option designed for marketers.

At the end of the day, the best way to build a PWA is through Lumavate. You can get started in no code app development today by signing up for a free account.

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