Firefox 10 touted to be developer- and business-friendly

Mozilla on Wednesday (Manila time) released the latest version of its Firefox open-source browser, which promises to be friendlier to developers and businesses.

 

In a blog post, Mozilla said its latest Firefox – Version 10 – has built-in developer tools that let developers change the look and feel of websites in real-time.

 

“We have also significantly improved Firefox Add-on compatibility and simplified the update process for all users because we are dedicated to delivering the best Firefox experience,” Mozilla said.

 

Among the built-in developer tools are:

 

 

Firefox also introduces a Mozilla Full-Screen API for websites and Web applications, allowing developers to build Web experiences that leverage the entire screen.

 

Mozilla said Full-Screen API enables developers to create full screen games, immersive video experiences and rich presentation sharing.

 

“We’re excited to enable gaming experiences on the Web that rival the experience of a console, and are happy to see this feature being adopted by other browsers,” it said.

 

3D web experience

 

Mozilla also said Firefox adds support for features that make it easier to build 3D Web experiences with open technologies.

 

It cited WebGL, a Web standard that allows websites and Web apps to display hardware-accelerated 3D graphics without third-party software.

 

“Firefox now supports Anti-Aliasing for WebGL, allowing developers to create objects that blend together and move smoothly. Firefox also supports CSS 3D Transforms, which lets developers animate and transform two dimensional elements into 3D using HTML5 without the need for third-party plugins,” Mozilla said.

 

Extension support

 

A separate article on tech site PC Magazine said Firefox 10 will make the browser and extension upgrades smoother and less interruptive for end users.

 

“Now, instead of requiring an extension to explicitly be marked by its coder as Firefox 10-compatible, the browser will assume that the extension is compatible if it was programmed for any Firefox version back to version 4,” PC Mag said.

 

In another streamlining of add-ons, starting with Firefox 10, when an extension is updated by its developer, the browser checks every 24 hours “for a specific add-on ID and installs it if an update is found,” CNET added, citing the Firefox Wiki.

 

Business-friendly too

 

PC World said Firefox 10 is also business-friendly, coming with extended support for businesses under its Extended Support Release (ESR) program.

 

ESR versions of Firefox will be on a slower release schedule than standard versions are, to address corporate concerns about having to test and install a new browser release every six weeks. Firefox is updated every six weeks.

 

“The ESR version of Firefox is for use by enterprises, public institutions, universities and other organizations that centrally manage their Firefox deployments,” said Jay Sullivan, Mozilla’s vice president of products.

 

He said Mozilla has worked with many organizations to ensure that the ESR balances their need for the latest security updates with the desire to have a lighter application certification burden.

 

ESR versions will receive security updates, but they won’t make changes to the Web or Firefox Add-ons platform, Sullivan added. — TJD, GMA News