The web-based App Store browser Apple introduced Tuesday had some rookie mistakes in its implementation, which has led to the front-end source code getting published on GitHub.
The App Store is only fully functional on an Apple device like your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, but there's always been a way to view apps in a web browser. Apple revamped that experience by introducing a full App Store browser on Tuesday, but it lacks the ability to sign in, make purchases, or view account info.
According to a GitHub repository discovered by 9to5Mac, Apple left the website's sourcemaps enabled in the published version. It's a rookie mistake to leave them enabled, but it's also not harmful to Apple, developers, or users.
The result is a set of data that has been stored in a GitHub repository by user rxliuli. It will let users view how Apple implemented the App Store website front end, and the repository is meant to act as a research tool and nothing else.
Apple could have the repository taken down at any time, so don't expect this to stay up long.
The GitHub lists what's available in the repository:
- Complete Svelte/TypeScript source code
- State management logic
- UI components
- API integration code
- Routing configuration
- And more
The code was obtained via a Chrome extension. There isn't any sensitive data here, just coding logic for those that might be curious to peruse and learn from.
Apple is a company filled with humans capable of making simple errors. While rare, they do happen, and at least this one isn't serious enough to cause any damage.
As the GitHub user said in a note on the repository page, remember to turn off sourcemaps in production.
