WICG / WICG/webpackage

Convert from zip to web pack / bundle format online

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Dominant language
Go
Stars
1.3k
Forks
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PR merge metrics
No merged PRs in 30d

Description

If you're not going to support zip as the format choice, there should be a way to convert to and from zip to this format. Many things such as the famous 2048 game, interactive fiction games, and git based websites are available already as zip files with an index.html and resources located relative to that file.

Most internet users would know nothing of this format, but have access to a zip of a site from a GitHub download page. They'll want to convert their zip to a format that can be opened by their browser and they'll want to do so online. So it would be optimal if it there was an online tool for creating web bundles from zips, preferably one that is itself distributed as a web bundle.

I myself as both an internet user, gamer, and app developer found myself annoyed I could not simply open zipped websites with my phone browser (in this case Chrome) and was annoyed that some supposedly offline PWAs required or used internet, so I built myself an app to allow me to play my games that were packaged as zip files. It would have been more convenient if there was a simple online converter.

To give some more real world examples of things that worked well as zipped sites that would preform well as web bundles: pico8 games feature export to html, and run easily as zipped websites, the Twine Editor (an interactive fiction making engine) zip download actually works fine, and could be theoretically become a web bundle, and of course web games hosted on git like 2048, or even itch games like 4 x 4 Archipelago could easily become web bundles were they easier to make and use for mobile and web users. I've even converted some of my favorite PWAs to zip files for personal use.

I think the format has great potential provided the ease of use is there and interoperability with existing formats comes naturally. To succeed I think this technology should be something an inquisitive 8 year old could use, and command line tools are beyond that skill range

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

The issue names no files, tests, or entry points. Start by reviewing the webpackage format and the repository's existing tooling, then define the scope for converting zip archives to and from web bundles and for providing the requested online workflow. Done would require an agreed design and an implemented, usable converter.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
go
Domain
tooling, web-dev
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Needs clarification
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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