Window Controls Overlay for Installed Desktop Web Apps

[amandabaker]

Hello TAG!

I'm requesting a TAG review of Window Controls Overlay for Installed Desktop Web Apps. (Originally: "Title Bar Customization for PWAs")

The title bar feature extends the app's client area to cover the entire window, including the title bar area. The web app developer is then able to draw and handle input for the entire window except the window buttons (close, maximize/restore, minimize), which are overlaid on top of the app's canvas.

• Explainer: https://github.com/WICG/window-controls-overlay/blob/master/explainer.md
• Security and Privacy self-review: [Title Bar Customization] TAG Security and Privacy Questionnaire  MicrosoftEdge/MSEdgeExplainers#218
• GitHub repo: WICG/window-controls-overlay
• Primary contacts:
  • Amanda Baker (@amandabaker), Microsoft
  • Jason McConnell (@Maggers), Microsoft
• Organization/project driving the design: Microsoft
• External status/issue trackers for this feature: Chrome Status

Further details:

• I have reviewed the TAG's API Design Principles
• The group where standardization of this work is intended to be done: CSS Working Group, Web Platform Working Group
• Existing major pieces of multi-stakeholder review or discussion of this design:
  • [css-env] Add environment variable for left/right bounds of notch w3c/csswg-drafts#4721
  • Add option to replace title bar with a display a smaller caption control overlay  w3c/manifest#847
  • https://discourse.wicg.io/t/proposal-title-bar-customization-for-web-apps/4278
• Major unresolved issues with or opposition to this design: None
• This work is being funded by: Microsoft

We'd prefer the TAG provide feedback as:

💬 leave review feedback as a comment in this issue and @-notify @amandabaker

[dbaron]

Did you intend that those two links to w3c/csswg-drafts issues point to different issues? (They're the same.)

[kenchris]

Hi there,

We are wondering what are the intended venues for these features, like dragable might be intended for CSS WG and the manifest changes for Web Apps WG but where will the JS additions land? Also as part of Web App Manifest?

[torgo]

In general we are a bit concerned about specs that explicitly refer to the term PWA, as there is no formal definition. I am a big proponent of the PWA pattern, but specs should probably instead of saying "PWA title bar", it should say "installed windowed web app title bar" or something more related to the underlying technologies such as the manifest file...?