But the web browser is not, though. Microsoft has just announced that it is open sourcing another feature of Edge, the new default Windows 10 web browser that replaces Internet Explorer.
The idea is to make the GLSL to HLSL transpiler open source to not only help users who are working on similar WebGL projects, but also pave way for others to improve and enhance the performance, correctness, and interoperability of WebGL.
For those unware, the GLSL to HLSL transpiler is part of the Microsoft Edge WebGL render and is used to parse the GLSL program and check for security constraints before initiating the conversion process that generates the HLSL output.
Technical stuff, indeed.
That said, while Microsoft has made some parts of the application open source, the software titan has made it very clear that the whole browser will not get this treatment:
“One natural question following this announcement is whether this signals a move to open-source Microsoft Edge. At this time we have no plans to open source Microsoft Edge or EdgeHTML, but we understand and value the importance of being more open with our roadmap and our core technologies.”
As of right now, Edge is exclusive to Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile, with Redmond showing no inclination to bring the web browser to other platforms or older versions of the operating system.
Open sourcing the application, though, might lead to forks being made available on other platforms.
Which is clearly not a strategy that Microsoft wants to pursue right now.
As for this most recent open sourcing, the company has promised that it will publish new scripts and documentations in the coming weeks and months to support community development in this regard, and further enhance this feature of the browser.
source:windows10update
