WebAPI
The Mozilla WebAPI team is pushing the envelope of the web to include --- and in places exceed --- the capabilities of competing stacks.
Contents
Contributing
WebAPI work is being tracked by Mozilla bug 673923. Find a dependent bug that interests you (and is unassigned), and assign it to yourself.
Documentation
This wiki page's purpose is mostly to be able to track the advancement of the work on the different APIs covered by the WebAPI team and help working on those. If you are interested in documentation for these Web APIs, you should look at the following MDN documentation page: https://developer.mozilla.org/docs/WebAPI
APIs
Here's a list of the APIs that we're working on. Some of them are done, and some of them we haven't gotten further than acknowledging that we probably need them.
Planned for initial release of B2G
Unless otherwise noted, APIs listed in the table below were available in Firefox OS v1.0.1 or will be available in v1.1.
API | Description | Standardization | Availability | See also | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
WebTelephony | Allow placing and answering phone calls as well as build in-call UI. | W3C ED (SysApps) | D | A | B | bug 674726, Security |
Vibration API | Control device vibration for things like haptic feedback in games. Not intended to solve things like vibration for notification. | W3C REC (Device APIs) | D | A | B | bug 679966, Security |
WebSMS | Send/receive SMS messages as well as manage messages stored on device. | W3C ED (SysApps) | D | A | B | bug 674725, Security |
Idle API | Get notifications when user is idle. | Needs plan | D | A | B | bug 715041, Security |
Screen Orientation | Get notification when screen orientation changes as well as control which screen orientation a page/app wants. | W3C WD (WebApps) | D | A | B | bug 720794 bug 740188 bug 673922, Security |
Settings API | Set system-wide configurations that are saved permanently on the device. | Future? | D | A | B | bug 678695, Security |
Power Management API | Turn on/off screen, cpu, device power, etc. Listen and inspect resource lock events. | Future? | D | A | B | bug 708964, Security bug 1017232, implement for Android |
Mobile Connection API | Expose signal strength, operator, etc for GSM and other mobile connections. This does not cover WiFi. | Future? | D | A | B | bug 729173, Security bug 1017233, implementation on Android |
TCP Socket API | Low-level TCP socket API. Will also include SSL support. | W3C ED (SysApps) | D | A | B | bug 733573 bug 892833, Security |
Geolocation API | Access to the end user's location. | W3C REC | D | A | B | Security |
WiFi Information API | Privileged API to get a list of available WiFi networks. Also get signal strength and name of currently connected network, etc. | Future? | D | A | B | Security bug 1017234, Android implementation bug |
Device Storage API | Add/Read/Modify files stored on a central location on the device. For example the "pictures" folder on modern desktop platforms or the photo storage in mobile devices. | Needs plan | D | A | B | bug 717103, Security |
Contacts API | Add/Read/Modify the device contacts address book. | W3C ED (SysApps) | D | A | B | bug 674720, bug 857730 for Android, Security |
Mouse Lock API | Lock access to mouse and get access to movement deltas rather than coordinates. | W3C CR (WebApps) | D | A | B | bug 633602 |
Open WebApps | Install web apps and manage installed webapps. Also allows an installed webapp to get payment information. Everything needed to build an Open WebApps app store. | W3C ED (WebAps) | D | A | B | bug 697006, Security |
WebBluetooth | Low level access to Bluetooth hardware. | Future? | D | A | B | bug 674737, Security |
Network Information API | Get basic information about current network connectivity. Example: "How fast of a connection do I have?". | W3C ED | D | A | B | bug 677166 bug 713199, Security |
Battery Status API | Information about battery charge level and if device is plugged in. | W3C CR (Device APIs) | D | A | B | bug 678694, Security |
Alarm API | Schedule a notification, or for an application to be started, at a specific time. | W3C WD (SysApps) | D | A | B | {Security |
Browser API | Enables implementing a browser completely in web technologies. | Future? | D | A | B | bug 693515, Security |
Time/Clock API | Set current time. Timezone will go in the Settings API. | Future? | D | A | B | bug 714357, bug 714358, API proposed |
Web Activities | Delegate an activity to another application. | Discussed in Device APIs | D | A | B | bug 715814 bug 776027 for Android |
Push Notifications API | Allow the platform to send notification messages to specific applications. | W3C ED (Webapps) | D | A | B | bug 822712 for B2G, bug 834033 for Android |
Permissions API | Allow Settings app to manage all app permissions in a centralized location | Future? | D | A | B | bug 707625, Security |
WebFM API | For FM radio feature. | Future? | D | A | B | bug 749053, Security |
FileHandle API | Writable files with locking. | Needs plan | D | A | B | bug 726593 |
Network Stats API | Monitor data usage and expose data to privileged apps | Future? | D | A | B | bug 746069 |
WebPayment | Allow web content to initiate payments and refunds for virtual goods. For the server implementation, see WebPaymentProvider. | Beginning | D | A | B | |
IndexedDB | Client-side storage of structured data and high performance searches on this data | W3C REC (WebApps) | D | A | B | bug 553412, Security |
Archive API | Blob support for Zip file contents | Future? | D | A | B | bug 772434 |
Ambient light sensor | Device light sensor support | W3C WD | D | A | B | bug 738465 |
Proximity sensor | Device proximity sensor support | W3C WD | D | A | B | bug 738131 |
SystemXHR | External (non-same origin) XMLHttpRequests | ? | D | A | B | ? |