Microsoft releases ‘JavaScript Browser’ open-source Browser using HTML, JavaScript and CSS
Microsoft seems to moving more and more towards open-source now a days. Just days after releasing Microsoft Edge browser along with Windows 10, Microsoft has put together a proof-of-concept browser that leverages the EdgeHTML engine used to let developers build their own browser-like UWP (Universal Windows Platform) applications.
Microsoft Edge has been received well by the users especially due to its speed. However Edge still has a long way to go before it can offer a real challenge to the current market leader, Google’s Chrome or Mozilla’s Firefox. Â Also as of now it only runs of Windows PCs and Laptops hampering Microsoft’s need for a popular all OS browser like Chrome or Firefox.
To give the users and developers the taste of Edge’s engine, which is responsible for its speed, Microsoft has created an open source browser that runs as an UWP application, and uses the platform’s WebView control to interact with the EdgeHTML engine.
To make it more customisable, Microsoft has build this browser with standard Web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript (ES6), and is a simple container for the WebView controller.
“These same techniques can be used in any UWP application to seamlessly integrate web content,” says the Microsoft Edge Team. Josh Rennert, Program Manager for Microsoft Edge explains: “With the WebView control, we were able to create a simple web browser using standard web technology in just an afternoon.”
The open source browser includes basic buttons and features like back and forward buttons, a title bar, favicon support, an address bar to type in URLs, a refresh button, and a settings panel. Additionally, there’s also a favorites button and menu for managing bookmarks, and a button for sharing the current page on Twitter.
Microsoft”JavaScript Browser” is available on the Windows Store, but you can also get its source code from GitHub, which is licensed under the MIT license.
