Building a PWA Version of the Government Billing App with Ionic React #36
Description
Context:
Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) have emerged as a powerful bridge between traditional web applications and native mobile apps. They combine the accessibility of the web with the performance and offline capabilities of mobile applications, all while being installable directly from the browser without requiring App Store or Play Store downloads.
In the C4GT Project (please star and fork the github repository :) ), a solid foundation for a Government Billing application has been created to manage invoices digitally for public sector use in India. However, the current project does not yet deliver a PWA experience that works seamlessly across desktop and mobile browsers while also being installable on devices for offline-first workflows.
This challenge asks participants to leverage Ionic React to build a fully functional Progressive Web App version of the Government Billing application, optimized for government officials and citizens who may not always have stable internet connectivity but still require uninterrupted access to invoicing tools.
Challenge:
Your challenge is to develop a PWA version of the existing Government Billing application using Ionic React. The PWA must deliver a smooth, app-like experience across multiple platforms—desktop, tablets, and smartphones—while providing offline support, installability, and responsive layouts.
Participants are expected to:
Implement the app as a PWA using Ionic React, with features aligned to the existing GovInvoice project.
Integrate Ionic Native and Capacitor plugins where possible, adapted for a PWA environment.
Focus on responsiveness, offline persistence, and seamless installation on different browsers and devices.
Core Features to Implement:
Invoice Management:
Create, edit, and delete invoices.
Save invoices for offline use with synchronization when the device comes back online.
Export invoices as downloadable PDFs.
Offline Capabilities & Installability:
Use Service Workers to cache assets and enable offline access.
Store invoices using Ionic Storage or IndexedDB.
Ensure the app is installable as a PWA (with a manifest and icons) on desktops, Android, and iOS devices.
File Operations & Sharing:
Enable downloading, printing, and sharing invoices.
Email integration via PWA-compatible workflows (deep linking or APIs).
Integration of system-level share features where supported.
Device Responsiveness & Orientation:
Support multiple screen sizes: smartphones, tablets, and desktops.
Seamless layout adjustments between portrait and landscape orientations.
Adaptive design ensuring no broken UI on any form factor.
Plugin Integrations (PWA-compatible examples):
Ionic Storage / IndexedDB for offline invoice persistence.
Ionic Native Print (where supported in browser) or PDF export.
Ionic Native Share or Web Share API for cross-platform sharing.
Push Notifications (Web Push) for reminders about invoices.
Camera/Scanner (via browser APIs) to attach scanned receipts (optional).
Evaluation Criteria:
Completeness: Does the PWA replicate and enhance the GovInvoice features?
Offline-first Support: Can the app work smoothly without internet and sync once reconnected?
Installability: Does the PWA install seamlessly on browsers, desktops, and mobile devices?
Plugin Usage: How effectively are Ionic Native/Capacitor plugins (and browser APIs) used?
UX & Responsiveness: Is the UI smooth, adaptable, and polished across devices and orientations?
Innovation: Any additional creative features (e.g., invoice analytics, QR code invoice sharing, secure authentication)?
Expected Deliverables:
A fully working PWA version of the app built with Ionic React.
Deployed PWA (via GitHub Pages, Vercel, Netlify, or similar) accessible for testing.
Source code published on GitHub with clear setup instructions.
Documentation covering:
PWA setup (manifest, service worker, offline strategies).
Integrated Ionic/Capacitor plugins and browser APIs.
Design decisions for responsiveness and offline-first behavior.
Impact:
By completing this challenge, participants will deliver a browser-installable, offline-capable PWA for Government Billing. This version will significantly broaden accessibility—enabling officials and users in areas with limited internet connectivity to manage invoices reliably. It will also demonstrate the potential of PWAs in governance use cases, reducing dependency on app stores and ensuring that essential digital tools are available to anyone with a browser.