Superapps, composition and extensibility
Tags: microfrontends, extensibility
Published: 2023-10-26 16:01:42

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title: Superapps, composition and extensibility
published: true
description: Superapps are usually large compositions of multiple independent applications each focusing on a specific capability or functionality
tags: Microfrontends,extensibility
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# published_at: 2023-10-26 15:35 +0000
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<p>Originally posted on my <a href="https://microfrontends.substack.com/p/microfrontends-weekly">Substack</a></p>

<p>There's an <a href="https://emtemp.gcom.cloud/ngw/globalassets/en/publications/documents/2023-gartner-top-strategic-technology-trends-ebook.pdf">interesting study</a> from Gartner which states that “By 2027, more than 50% of the global population will be daily active users of multiple superapps.“</p><p>Superapps are usually large compositions of multiple independent applications each focusing on a specific capability or functionality (think chat, payments, social media, deliveries…) and integrated behind a single login experience, abstracting this complexity from the user and providing all of these services as a single integrated experience.</p>
<blockquote><p>A superapp represents the ultimate manifestation of a composable application and architecture. </p><p><a href="https://emtemp.gcom.cloud/ngw/globalassets/en/publications/documents/2023-gartner-top-strategic-technology-trends-ebook.pdf">Gartner - Top strategic technology trends 2023</a></p></blockquote><p>Also these applications can usually be extended and monetized by third-party extensions:</p><blockquote><p>Offer an easy developer experience and convenient developer tools (such as APIs, design guidelines, software development kits and frameworks) for partners to build, test, register and submit miniapps for potential monetization. </p><p><a href="https://emtemp.gcom.cloud/ngw/globalassets/en/publications/documents/2023-gartner-top-strategic-technology-trends-ebook.pdf">Gartner - Top strategic technology trends 2023</a></p></blockquote><p>There are good examples of extensible ui implementations from Shopify and Stripe allowing developers to interact with their ecosystem and embed applications extending available functionality</p><blockquote><p>If you look deeper at Shopify and the Stripe platform, you see a variety of surfaces that offer extension points… e.g. the <a href="https://stripe.com/docs/dashboard">Stripe Dashboard</a>, or the <a href="https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/shopify-admin/shopify-admin-overview">Shopify Admin</a>. These surfaces have specific extensions with rich context. <strong>They offer embeddable UI points, with building blocks to have your extensions fit in (e.g. components that feel consistent for the users of that surface)</strong></p><p><a href="https://medium.com/ben-and-dion/the-rise-of-the-extensible-app-platforms-149e1429ab85">The rise of the extensible app platforms</a></p></blockquote><p>All of this makes me think of microfrontends as the perfect fit for these applications. Making multiple applications appear like one and unify them behind a single login experience should be one of the core tenets of this architecture paradigm. </p><p>Also embedding applications, isolating them and establishing proper communication contracts is a main concern of microfrontends and essential for extensible UI’s. </p><p>If this prediction ends up being right i hope it helps make the use cases for microfrontends more clear and a rise in adoption and serious research in this space.</p>

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