Apps/Architecture

Apps Program Software Architecture

Program Goals

• Provide Developers with:
  • a consistent App runtime environment that makes their Apps feel like natives, not tourists, on every platform they care about
  • a consistent payment infrastructure for Apps available at our Marketplace

• Provide Users with:
  • an open Apps ecosystem that lets them shop at the App store of their choice
  • a robust App runtime environment that makes Apps feel like natives, not tourists on every device
  • a means to back up and manage their Apps from multiple Stores across multiple devices

• Provide App Stores
  • a well-documented API for installing and managing Apps
  • access to the same cloud-based services for App management that our Marketplace uses

Architectural Goals

• Provide well-designed API's for App installation, App management, and App payments
• Conceal uninteresting platform dependencies while providing access to crucial platform-specific features
• Provide access to multiple payment providers through a single, unified API

Architectural Topics

App Definition

An App is described by its Manifest. The manifest contains user-facing metadata, including descriptions and icons. The manifest also enumerates the protected API's to which the App requests access. This information is used to control access to privileged API's at run time.

App Management

The navigator.mozApps API includes several distinct sets of functionality:

• an installation API to allow Marketplaces to install packaged and web-hosted Apps
• a runtime API to allow running Apps access to their install metadata (i. e., their own App receipts)
• a management API to allow Cloud-based services or management Apps access to the set of Apps installed on the current device

Deliverables

Category	Description	Architect	Tech Lead
App Definition	Apps security model	ladamski	sicking
	App packaging specification	sicking	sicking
	App manifest specification	anant	anant
App Management	navigator.mozApps.mgmt	anant	anant
Identity	navigator.id API	benadida	benadida
Marketplace	marketplace architecture	clouserw	clouserw
Payment	navigator.mozPay API	andreas	not sure
	App receipt specification	anant	not sure
	In-app payment specification	andreas	not sure
Cloud services	Apps in the Cloud design	anant	anant
Runtime	Web Runtime (WebRT) for Android	not sure	mfinkle
	Web Runtime (WebRT) for Mac OS, Windows, Linux	not sure	myk
	Apps support on Firefox OS	not sure	cjones

Problematic questions

• How can we help developers cope with the one-app-per-origin restriction?
• How can achieve a consistent Identity sol'n in the face of Firefox OS carrier and operator constraints?
• How can achieve a consistent payments API in the face of Firefox OS carrier and operator constraints?