Mini programs Guidelines

Telegram, WeChat, and many other products are called as mini-app runtime environments

What this repository contains

This repository contains all you need from resources, case studies, and real-life examples on how to architect and implement the mini-programs in the best way to increase the success of your mini-program application.

What will you find?

• Introduction
  • Why do you need to read these guidelines?
  • what is a mini app/program runtime environment?
• Development environment:
  • What is a mini-app?
  • Why a mini-app instead of a regular app?
  • What is the host-app ( Super app )?
  • In what language the mini app is written?
  • The reason to use tailwind instead of regular css and scss?
  • Why using Svelte as the main framework for the mini app programming?
  • Devtools the basics on how to debug your app?
  • Testing your application on the host application
• Design guidelines:
  • Why this is differ from host app to another?
  • Layout standards
  • Color schemes
  • Typography
  • iconography
• User experience:
  • Navigation patterns:
    • Prioritize
    • Sequence
    • Deconstruct
  • User interactions
  • Accessibility considerations
• Mini app Performance Standards:
  • Load Times: Recommended load times for mini apps.
  • Caching and updates
  • Resource Usage: Guidelines for efficient use of memory, CPU, and battery.
  • Optimizations: Tips for optimizing performance (e.g., lazy loading, caching strategies).
  • Finding and Removing code duplicates
  • Remove redundant code with Vite and enhance bundle size
• What Makes a good Super app?
• Security Guidelines
  • Data Privacy: How to handle user data responsibly and comply with relevant regulations.
  • Authentication: Standards for user authentication and session management.
  • API Security: Secure use of APIs, including authentication, rate limiting, and encryption.
• Coding Standards
  • Code Quality: Best practices for writing clean, maintainable code.
    • Naming conventions
    • Code organization
    • Commenting and documentation
  • Testing: Guidelines for testing mini apps, including unit tests, integration tests, and end-to-end tests.
• API Usage
  • Available APIs: List and describe the APIs provided by the host application.
  • Rate Limits: Any rate limits or usage quotas.
  • Error Handling: How to handle and report errors when using APIs.
• Compliance and Legal
  • Regulatory Compliance: Ensure mini apps comply with relevant laws and regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA).
  • Terms of Service: Outline the terms of service that developers must agree to.
• Submission and Review Process
  • Submission Guidelines: How to submit a mini app for review.
  • Review Criteria: What the review team looks for when evaluating mini apps.
  • Approval Process: Steps and timelines for the approval process.
• Maintenance and Updates
  • Versioning: Guidelines for versioning mini apps.
  • Update Process: How to handle updates, including notifying users and managing downtime.
  • Deprecation Policy: How to phase out older versions or unsupported mini apps.
• Support and Resources
  • Developer Support: How developers can get help (e.g., support channels, documentation).
  • Community Resources: Links to forums, tutorials, and other resources for developers.
• Examples and Best Practices
  • Sample Mini Apps: Provide examples of well-designed mini apps.
  • Case Studies: Share case studies or success stories.

What this repository includes?

• UI/UX: A complete design system, UI Kits and examples on how to design you mini app
• Technical decisions: Will show you various ways to architect you app

Key Components

• Container: The host app acts as a container for mini apps. It manages their lifecycle, including launching, running, and closing them.

• APIs: The runtime environment provides APIs that mini apps use to interact with the host app and its resources. These APIs can handle things like user authentication, data storage, and network requests.

• Security: The environment ensures that mini apps run in a secure and isolated manner, preventing them from accessing sensitive data or resources of the host app or other mini apps.

• Performance: Since mini apps are lightweight, they can load and run quickly, providing a seamless user experience and later you will see why we are using svelte as example of a mini app it's an example of a performant framework compared to other frameworks.

Examples

• WeChat Mini Programs: These are mini apps that run within the WeChat app, offering services like shopping, gaming, and utilities without the need to download separate apps.
• Facebook Instant Games: Small games that run within the Facebook app, allowing users to play without leaving the platform.
• Telegram mini apps: These are mini apps that run within the telegram app.

Benefits Convenience: Users can access multiple services within a single app without the need to download and install multiple apps. Speed: Mini apps are designed to be fast and responsive. Integration: They can leverage the existing user base and features of the host app, providing a cohesive experience. Conclusion Mini app runtime environments make it easy to deliver specialized functionality within larger applications, enhancing user experience by providing quick, integrated, and secure access to various services.

Resources

• Alipay Mini Program Guidelines
• Wechat Mini Program Guidelines