Not only did I do a double take when first reading this bit of news, I had to check and see if the article was dated 4/1 in honor of April Fool’s Day (the day my daughter turned 1 by the way). Microsoft releasing Windows Library for JavaScript (WinJS) as open-source software? Who’d have thunk it?
As you can see from the image above, the idea of allowing programmers to write web applications for their operating system is nothing new; in fact, it was introduced with their Windows 8 operating system (version 8.1). However, it was limited in that it only worked on Windows and using Internet Explorer’s (IE) browsing technology, so if you were trying to access any of these apps through Chrome, Safari, or Firefox, you were out of luck.
Call it going with the flow or finally admitting defeat, but apparently Microsoft has gotten with the times and opened their eyes to the harsh realization that there is life beyond Windows and IE; proprietary software that has always been held closely to Microsoft’s proverbial chest.
According to a Windows.com blog entry entitled: “Bringing WinJS cross-platform and open source,” Maria Kang (Program Manager, Windows Ecosystem & Frameworks Team) made the announcement and posted the link to the source code on GitHub, which is a website that hosts software development projects. Microsoft hopes that by doing this, they will not only make their WinJS software useful within the confines of their own software, but also help increase its relevance and adoption rates for the rest of the web as well.
But don’t take my word for it, here’s what Microsoft had to say: “The top feedback from developers who use HTML/CSS/JavaScript for their app development is that they appreciate the reach it gives them across devices. Extending WinJS to other browsers and devices beyond Windows further extends their reach and allows them to bring the personality of Windows apps to the Web without rewriting code of learning new skills.”
I couldn’t have said it better myself.