Meeting minutes
To do list from 1st CJK Meeting
[going through today's agenda]
https://
yongqing: Angel suggested we create a MiniApp CJK TF, is it the plan?
xfq: let's hold it when Angel join us
… we already discussed the DOM support for MiniApp
yongqing: QuickApp have initial design to support DOM, but it's available to the developers yet
… not sure whether the rendering will align with browsers
Dan: we do not support DOM neither in Baidu Smart Programs, mostly because of performance issues
… also security concerns
… we need to evaluate the possibility
… but we do offer similar APIs
… f.ex. selectors
… for APIs that developers have clear demands, we will provide them
yongqing: performance issues, I'd suggest avoid exposing those APIs that will cause performance problem
yongqing: For example, we can choose not to expose APIs that have an impact on rendering performance
Dan: make sense to me
xiaoqian: we can invite framework authors to talk about their ideas in the future
Action: xfq to open a GitHub issue on MiniApp DOM support
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Discussion with Publishing CG co-chair: Zheng Xu
https://
Zheng: co-chair of the Publishing CG
Zheng: Mateus Teixeira is another co-chair
Zheng: the meeting time is perfect for me :)
Zheng: I have met some of you when I introduced digital publishing with Tzviya before
… ebooks are mostly mainly about HTML, CSS and JavaScript, have a strong link to the Web
… offline experience is critical
… I've been working on EPUB since 2012
… the EPUB 3 WG is mostly about the spec
… the Publishing CG is about innovation, promotion, and incubation
… we are working on best practices, a11y
… the a11y TF had started before the CG was created
… documentation TF
… fixed layout TF
… the CG was rather new
… started at the end of last year
… I'm interested in MiniApp, especially about packaging
… Although EPUB is not 100% suitable for miniapps, EPUB is very mature
… how to define the creators, containers... by a ZIP file
… provide feedback to the current EPUB specs
… let EPUB not be too focused on e-books, but all kinds of online content
xiaoqian: Can you tell us about the content, progress and implementation of the EPUB packaging and manifest?
Zheng: EPUB is at 3.2 now, we just published a new version of 3.3
… EPUB Packages defines the resources, how to find these resources
… where to put the metadata
… we have a repo for epub samples
https://
[Zheng introduces a sample EPUB file]
Zheng: container.xml
… package.opf
… you can set the title, language, contributor, accessMode, manifest to provide offline prefetch
… I work in Gardenia now, formerly in Rakuten Kobo
… spine for paging
… content document, more for EPUB type
… you don't need to support all the EPUB specs
… Open Container Format, defines the format of the files
… Open Container Format is a must
… encryptions are often used for fonts
… I think we can work together on Packages and OCF
… I think we can work together on Packages and OCF
… maybe a11y in the future too
… as for the implementations
… Kindle, Kobo
… it's rather mature
… Kobo has been using EPUB for almost 10 years
… mainly used for e-books currently
… may also be applied on MiniApps, Games
… I think the package format is universal
yongqing: is it more often used offline or online?
Zheng: it started from offline
… so mainly offline
… regarding online usage, this depends on the implementation
… it's a ZIP file
… progressive download
yongqing: load on demand?
Zheng: yes
… ZIP is optional
… the content in the zip container can be hosted online
yongqing: I personally usually use apps like 得到 and 极客时间
yongqing: The usage scenarios are similar to EPUB
yongqing: can EPUB 3 be applied to this kind of content platforms?
Zheng: good question
… EPUB is an open and mature format
… PDF is also a format
… txt is also a format
… mobi is also a format
… if you are to put your content on the Kobo platform
… Kobo uses EPUB
… different organizations use different formats
… EPUB is HTML, rich content support, a11y support is good
… there are some aspects that are not as good as PDF, but it is much easier to use than txt
… CSS layout is mature
dan: our manifest spec is similar to EPUB Packages on requirements
… but not for MiniApp Packaging
… the reading systems in China are more open, can use native apps
… miniapps are similar to native apps
… JavaScript is a must for miniapps, not just XML
… there may be sub-packages
… difficult to align with EPUB packages
Zheng: agree, EPUB packaging is more for digital publishing
… the initial design is quite different
… we can start looking at the diffs and similarities now
… let's take it as a starting point to work together
… EPUB is not completely suitable for miniapp now
… but it is precisely because of this that I came to the meeting to discuss with you
… the general direction of EPUB and miniapps are similar
… we can also talk with the EPUB people about using MiniApps
… I hope these concepts can be applied on online music, games, and other online content
… be more open minded on the use cases
… EPUB can be a reference
dan: understood
… we can look at the use cases and requirements
… expand the scope of EPUB
Zheng: I don’t think we will have a plan from the beginning, so we need to discuss
yongjing: Q1, EPUB Package, is it more for indexing?
Zheng: yes, that's one of the most important requirements
… also includes manifest
yongqing: so the packaging is in the OCF spec?
Zheng: exactly
[EPUB Packages <-> MiniApp Manifest, EPUB OCF <-> MiniApp Packaging]
yongjing: Are there security and integrity considerations in EPUB?
Zheng: re security, MIME type is under consideration
Zheng: not for integrity yet
yongjing: integrity is important for MiniApps
yongjing: we dont't want miniapps to be tampered
… no DRM standard in EPUB?
Zheng: exploring DRM, no standards yet
tengyuan: The distribution mode of miniapps is relatively scattered, and each platform distributes its own miniapps. How to unify? Does EPUB have relevant experience?
Zheng: this is a long term issue
Zheng: There are some tools that can convert other formats to EPUB
… but the conversion result is not ideal, it depends on the reading system
… for example, the rendering in Kobo and Apple Books may be different
… because of different levels of HTML support
… The ecosystem needs time to support
… I have joined the MiniApps CG and WG
… If you have any questions, you can send an email to the mailing list or email me directly
… Can someone in the miniapps CG come to the Publishing CG to introduce MiniApps?
… we also have monthly meetings
xiaoqian: Where are PCG's members from?
Zheng: mostly North America and EU
… I hope to expand the CG members, such as people in China and other Asian countries
… welcome to join the Publishing CG
yongqing: Let’s discuss it offline and see if anyone can share MiniApps in PCG
Zheng: How is MiniApps used outside of China?
xfq: I’m not sure, we can communicate offline after investigating
xiaoqian: At the MiniApps CJK meeting, we also introduced miniapps in the field of automobiles and IoT
Zheng: I will look at the videos and meeting minutes
yongqing: thank you
… any questions?
[silence]
UI Components
https://
yongqing: Thomas mentioned Open UI
xfq: we discussed it in https://
Yongjing: Zitao is on a business trip, let’s discuss it next time
MiniApps for TV
https://
QingAn: discussions on GitHub
… hax is not here today
… any questions?
MiniApps for IoT
https://
QingAn: There is no update at the moment, we can discuss it next time
AOB
[Adjourned]