Most of us know the difference between Web Apps and Mobile Apps from a user standpoint. But I've always been curious about how they are different from an architectural standpoint. Are two separate code bases required to offer both options?
I'll be delving into the technical differences and overhead of building and maintaining both applications for a single product.
Web Apps
A Traditional Web App (TWA) runs from a web browser and when a user interacts with the page, it connects to the webserver to perform any logic on the server. This architecture is quickly becoming obsolete as the demand for user interaction and enhanced features grows.
A Single Page Application (SPA) doesn't require constant communication with the webserver because the enhanced logic is loaded into the browser along with the web page. When data is accessed from the database, the SPA accesses the database through the back-end API just like a traditional web app. SPAs don't scale as well as traditional web apps and can be slow to load as page features grow.
Mobile Apps
These apps are compiled, and the client app is downloaded and run on the device, similar to a thin client application. The front-end client app connects to the webserver and accesses the database through the service layer. Using the service layer to connect allows the connection to be independent of the device being used.
Because the client app exists on the device, it is able to integrate with the device's native features, like the camera, mic and speakers. Web apps have very limited ability to integrate with device features and typically a web app isn't the best option for applications that require complex integration.
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| Examples of a popular product architecture - SPA and Mobile Applications |
What about both?
For a lot of commercial applications, both a web app and mobile app are offered. For instance, retail, banking and dating apps have mobile apps you can download and use on your phone and a web app you can use from your laptop browser.
I'm pretty pragmatic so I wonder...how much code can you share and how much will need to be supported in parallel?
SPA/Web apps and Mobile App are separate code bases and will need to be maintained separately. Depending on the language coding may require a different skillset, but often full stack developers are skilled at developing and maintaining both. The back-end webserver API code and database can be shared. There are architectural decisions that need to be made upfront to support both types of connections, but a well-designed platform can support both types of apps.
Connecting it all
Each server, computer, and device have integrated components that process data to perform their functions. These components include disc memory, RAM, CPUs, graphics cards, etc. These components have installed drivers, firmware and operating systems that define how the device will consume and respond to incoming data.
More complex devices like computers and smart phones also run software applications that have the ability to connect to servers that interact with databases to store and access data.
If we step away from the user one step further, these devices are then linked through network communication pathways that include routers, cellular towers, and wifi access points through cell data, wifi and cabling. This communication network enables Mobile and Web/SPA apps to connect to servers on the cloud from anywhere.
The final component of our Web/SPA and Mobile app platform are layers that are embedded throughout the system, cyber security. This includes user authentication, firewall technology and encryption. This layer keeps devices, data and users safe from corruption and exploitation.
Technology is a good thing.
As technology continues to evolve and integrate into our daily lives, we have access to information, global communication and the ability to reach communities that we didn't have just two decades ago. Technology is the great equalizer and will enable the advancement of everyone, everywhere.
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