At Build 2020, Microsoft announced a number of new functionalities and enhancements that will be coming to new (chromium-based) Microsoft Edge browser in the coming weeks and days ahead.
See Also: Latest Microsoft Edge (Stable) hits major update with Ext Sync and Auto Profile Switching
With the May 2020 Update just around the corner, Microsoft will be upgrading all Windows 10 devices (excluding enterprise and education) to the new Microsoft Edge.
For web developers, Microsoft has been working hard to support the community and empower them to reach users in more ways than ever before.
Here are some of the notable improvements:
WebView2 preview expands to include .NET and UWP (WinUI) development
Last year, we pushed WebView2 forward with a preview for Win32 development. WebView2 lowers the barrier for developers to maximize code reuse across platforms with a consistent web platform to host web content in their apps. We’d like to thank everyone that has engaged with us so far throughout the preview—the contributions and feedback we’ve received drive our feature roadmap and quality.
Today, we’re expanding the preview with new options for .NET and UWP (WinUI 3.0) development, enabling you to embed a Chromium-based Edge WebView in WinForms, WPF, and UWP (WinUI 3.0) applications. Check out our documentation and Getting Started guide, or simply open Visual Studio and download the WebView2 package to get started.
Improvements to the Microsoft Edge Add-ons site make searching and finding extensions easier
For many users, extensions are a key component to the web experience. We’re committed to not only making it easy for developers to bring their Chromium-based extensions into our store, but also to make it simple for users to find them. We will be making a significant update to the Microsoft Edge Add-ons site to make it more visually appealing—new categories, new search capabilities, and a new layout will get those extensions in front of customers. Expect to see this roll out starting this month!
Making PWAs feel more at home on Windows 10
Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) continue to gain momentum as a great way to deliver content in an app-like experience across platforms, powered by web standards. With the most recent versions of Microsoft Edge and Windows 10, we’re making PWAs feel even more natural and familiar alongside other Windows apps.
Today, when you install PWAs on Windows 10, they look and feel more at home on your desktop OS in important ways, launching in a standalone window and appearing in places like Start and the Taskbar for easier access. We’re working on updates to make this integration even smoother—you’ll be able to manage them from settings, use them to share (and receive shared content), and more. Check out an early preview of this Windows integration by using Windows Insider preview builds and enabling the Web Apps Identity Proxy flag in the Microsoft Edge Canary preview build.
Try out experimental web platform features with Origin Trials
We always aim to move the web forward to meet the needs of web developers. Our Origin Trials program enables developers to test drive experimental features on their websites for a set length of time. Prototypes that we haven’t enabled for the general web yet will work on your site for a selection of your visitors in Microsoft Edge, enabling you to gather and provide early feedback which can influence the final API.
Learn more and register for an Origin Trial at the new Origin Trial Developer Console today!
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