| arch, Microsoft unveiled a first web browser, Internet | | | | standards: the aim is that same code gives the same |
| Explorer 9 pre-release. IE 9 current user interface is | | | | result in all browsers. Already, with IE 8, Microsoft |
| far from comprehensive: it has no buttons or address | | | | had added a rendering mode, the standards mode, |
| bar "Back" and "next". Indeed, this version is intended | | | | the web standards much more environmentally |
| for developers, and its purpose is to show the heart | | | | friendly with for example better support for CSS |
| of the next version of the browser. Among the | | | | than its predecessors. IE 9 continues in this way, as |
| enhancements it retains mainly graphics performance | | | | evidenced by his score to the Acid 3 test which is |
| and improved JavaScript, and the new web | | | | passed to 55/100 for IE 9, against 20/100 for IE 8. |
| standards support. | | | | But this version also adds support for web standards |
| Improved performance current versions of Internet | | | | that were already available from competitors. |
| Explorer are very overdue level performance relative | | | | The vector drawing with SVG image user we |
| to their competitors, either in terms of speed of | | | | announced early January that Microsoft had asked to |
| rendering or JavaScript. With this new version, | | | | join the W3C SVG Working Group on the internet |
| Microsoft attempts to improve these two points. | | | | blog. This accession resulted in fact, since the new |
| A new JavaScript engine JavaScript scripts used on | | | | version of the browser will include support for this |
| the web are increasingly heavy and their | | | | format. |
| performance has become a major concern for | | | | SVG is an XML-based vector drawing format: instead |
| developers of web browsers. To ensure that the | | | | of encoding an image as an array of colored pixels, a |
| scripts run fast enough, browsers had to change of | | | | vector drawing is represented by a set of lines and |
| approach to the use of a simple interpreter: Firefox | | | | shapes. Thus, enlarge these images without loss of |
| and chrome, with TraceMonkey and V8 partially | | | | quality. In addition, it is possible to manipulate SVG |
| compile JavaScript code for faster execution. | | | | with JavaScript images: can this way creating games, |
| IE8 was only using a simple interpreter, and its | | | | animations,... |
| performance was indented relative to those of other | | | | In this pre-release, SVG support is still very partial, |
| browsers. IE 9 developers have therefore coded a | | | | but developers have plans to add missing features. |
| new JavaScript engine called Chakra. It compiles the | | | | As with HTML, the SVG rendering is accelerated by |
| JavaScript in the background, while scripts are | | | | the graphics card. |
| executed by a shell: This allows you to run scripts | | | | HTML5, DOM and CSS 3 this pre-release also includes |
| when the page loads, and take advantage of | | | | a partial support of CSS3 and HTML5, like Vinageer, |
| machines with multiple processors. JavaScript is a | | | | the latest versions of HTML and CSS. An example |
| language for dynamic typing: types of variables are | | | | that will appeal to many developers is adding the CSS |
| determined at runtime. This slows the scripts, and | | | | border-radius property allows you to create very |
| that is why the JavaScript engine tries to guess the | | | | easily rounded corners without using images. New |
| maximum of information on the types at compile | | | | appeared in CSS 3 selectors are also supported. |
| time. | | | | It can also noted many additions to the DOM API |
| User picture in addition to accelerated heart language, | | | | that allows to manipulate web pages from JavaScript. |
| developers have also optimized functions JavaScript | | | | For example, DOM events are better supported, as |
| libraries: manipulation of arrays of strings or regular | | | | well as DOM style, which allows you to dynamically |
| expressions. Indeed, these functions are much used, | | | | manipulate style sheets. |
| and their performance is also a key element to run | | | | Finally, developers have announced, although support |
| scripts quickly. These efforts have paid off, since | | | | is not included in this version, IE 9 will include sound or |
| according to the SunSpider test, IE 9 runs the | | | | video in an external webpage without plugin, and |
| JavaScript more than 5 times faster than IE 8 and | | | | control directly in JavaScript while using tags video |
| moves before Firefox 3.7 alpha version. | | | | and audio. Microsoft has chosen to use protected by |
| Accelerated by the rendering of web pages graphics | | | | patents, rather than free-form Theora, H.264 video |
| drawing has also been optimized: IE 9 takes part of | | | | format for this tag. |
| the new graphics features introduced in Windows | | | | The future of web? |
| Vista. With Direct2D, a large part of the drawing | | | | It regretted the absence of the canvas, item that |
| operations which were previously performed by the | | | | allows you to draw images using JavaScript. |
| processor can be delegated to the graphics card. The | | | | However, the final version of Internet Explorer 9 |
| text is drawn through DirectWrite, which enables also | | | | should emerge in 2011: this leaves a lot of time |
| the graphics acceleration. | | | | developers to add new features. |
| This change improves actually performance, as | | | | This version includes support for many technologies |
| shown in the demos on the site with Internet | | | | that could greatly simplify life for web developers, |
| Explorer 9. However, Direct2D and DirectWrite are | | | | with better support for web standards and new tags. |
| not available for Windows XP, so that IE 9 will be | | | | Unfortunately, Internet Explorer 9 is not available for |
| available only from Windows Vista: users of older | | | | Windows XP, which may considerably hinder its |
| versions will have to remain at version 8. | | | | adoption. If they want to make sites accessible to |
| Support for this version, IE developers web | | | | everyone, developers will not so use these new |
| technologies have also improved support for web | | | | features before a few years. |