Hope for external start_urls

[cvan]

Chrome apps require local paths (app.launch.local_path), but they do allow webviews and cross-origin XHRs via permissions (similar to Firefox's SystemXHR).

Similarly, Firefox apps do not allow external launch_paths https://bugzil.la/786710 - but SystemXHR, iframes, and redirects help a little bit to workaround that restriction.

Considering that the spec says start_url has the same same-origin restriction, is there a future where we can allow external start_url?

It's hacky, but to get around this, I'm just going to set a start_url to https://myserver.org/?https://facebook.com/, call my app Facebook, and let users install it to their homescreens.

If I can already do that redirect, why enforce the same-origin restriction in the first place for start_url.

Forgive my ignorance if any of the above is untrue. Thanks for listening!

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Related: #114 (comment)

[marcoscaceres]

It's hacky, but to get around this, I'm just going to set a start_url to https://myserver.org/?https://facebook.com/, call my app Facebook, and let users install it to their homescreens.

That won't work without side-effects, as you'll break app's URL scope (or leave the initial origin). As a consequence, you will either:

• be thrown into the browser.
• have some minimal UI displayed - indicating to the user that they left the origin from which they bookmarked.

The severity depends on the display mode.

[marcoscaceres]

Considering that the spec says start_url has the same same-origin restriction, is there a future where we can allow external start_url?

So, to answer your question, not initially. We may consider opening this up later - as opening this up won't break backward compat later on.

[derlin]

any news on this opening ?

[marcoscaceres]

Don't think so. It would just break too many things :(