[UWP] Wrap a webapp into UWP to access Cortana and notifications?

[Osiris]

Hi all,

 

Just looking to check if my assumptions are correct and if the title would be possible

* Webapps/cloud software or website can't access Cortana or windows system notifications?

* But a UWP could access the apis for Cortana and the Notification system?

* Would there then be benefits to taking a website, wrapping it as  UWP so it could access those systems?  Obviously dependant on the site/software but in theory is it possible?

 

Thanks in advance,

 

NB:

Really unsure where to ask this so apologies if its in the wrong forum

[Jack W]

Websites cannot access the APIs. You can wrap them in a web app-based UWP, which has access to the APIs via a JavaScript framework, that Microsoft supports.

 

There are benefits. TripAdvisor does it; take a look at their app.

 

You can allow users to use the web-based version, but display a little message that for a more feature-rich experience, e.g notifications across their devices, they could download the Windows app. It increases user activity, as they then have notifications across all their Microsoft devices.

[Osiris]

Thanks for responding Jack and confirming sites can't access them.  Trip adviser example is good ill look into. 

 

Must have been short on coffee, found the info I was after a bit later in the day, also found Yahoo published an article on their experience with using the hosted webapp functionality into a UWP app.

[DevTech]

Due to the Windows 8 Sinofsky craziness, Javascript became a "first class" programming language on the Windows platform. They were hoping to attract the San Francisco Hipster crowd in a futile attempt to counter the Reality Distortion Field in Cupertino.

 

So, as soon as your Javascript code lands inside a UWP app, you can do anything. The various tools that automatically package a website into a UWPapp are just meant to be a starting point and then you proceed from there.

 

WinJS is some Javascript that adds WIndows UWP controls so your resulting effort can have a professional  native appearance.

 

https://github.com/winjs/winjs

 

https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/develop/winjs

 

I randomly came across this article which appears a helpful overview  on using Javascript for UWP:

 

https://www.apteligent.com/2016/01/a-guide-to-building-your-first-windows-app/