Can we consider epub as a package format?

Jeffxz commented 3 years ago

Hi guys, I have been reading this spec recently and I think the mini app is an amazing idea (Yes I am user of some of the Wechat MiniApp as well).

Beside the whole concept of miniapp, I found this section very interesting to me https://www.w3.org/TR/mini-app-white-paper/#constructor

A MiniApp package is a compressed format (e.g. zip) archive, including:

I wonder if could consider epub as a container? or if you have explored already?

I am very interested in the possibility of using epub package since I am also co-chairing the publishing cg. If you would like to share the idea of mini app can we have some joint meeting to introduce mini-app to publishing cg?

xfq commented 3 years ago

Thanks for your suggestion!

MiniApp Packaging is currently using zip. My understanding is that EPUB cannot meet some needs, so it is not used.

xfq commented 3 years ago

Jeffxz commented 3 years ago

Thanks @xfq. Yeah, the Publishing Community Group (PCG) was actually started from almost end of last year which was after the discussion here related to Epub. Epub 3 is a very well defined and widely used zip based format which mostly focusing on offline reading (or publishing). As you pointed out in w3c/miniapp#84 it might be possible to use OCF as existing wheel to actually help spreading mini app to widely usage.

Because there are already many of published applications started to support epub3 (since 2012) one of the benefit of adopting epub3 is existing reading application might be able to support MiniApp without large amount of work. Hence this could help spreading MiniApp.

So if member in this Interesting Group would be open to discuss I think we can try to discover more on the possibility as well as challenges. How do you think.

But yeah, I opened this as issue also because I think it might be worthful to mention potentially use epub3 as one of package format. I think I joined Interesting Group as well so if needed I am open to discuss in your group meeting if not too late for me.

xfq commented 3 years ago

Here's the transcript of the CG meeting discussing this issue this Thursday: https://www.w3.org/2021/04/22-miniapp-minutes.html#t02

awentzel commented 3 years ago

I'm intrigued by offline reading support? I think this would be worthwhile to investigate. MiniApps that could fully function in offline mode could open up new opportunities.

Jeffxz commented 3 years ago

Yup, it's a spec mostly focusing on offline reading/application

w3c / miniapp-packaging

Can we consider epub as a package format? #7