Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) announced today that it will introduce a new version of its Safari web browser. This new version, specifically designed for developers, will have some special updates not available in the consumer’s version.
The new web browser, called Safari Technology Preview, will allow developers to get an early look at upcoming web technologies in OS X and iOS in HTML, CSS, JavaScript and WebKit.
Basically, Appel’s intention is to get feedback from developers so it is allowing them to easily experiment on these technologies and then report back. Based on their comments, Apple will make the necessary improvements. To put the ideas into practice, Apple is even encouraging Web developers to use Bug Reporter to send feedback about Safari Technology Preview.
Even though Safari Technology Preview is meant to be used by developers and it will be hosted on Apple’s developer website, you don’t have to be a registered developer to download it, meaning that everybody can give it a try if they want to.
Advantages for web developers
Safari Technology Preview brings several new improvements, but probably the biggest one is a complete implementation of ESMAScript 6, which is essentially the latest and fastest version of JavaScript.
Moreover, there’s a dedicated JavaScript compiler called B3. This is a low-latency engine that optimizes page load based on how much JavaScript is used and how it is implemented.
This version of Safari offers an update version of Nightly Build, an open source browser engine that now runs on hundreds of millions of devices. Even though Apple has offered Nightly Builds of WebKit for a long time, getting access to these builds had always taken a bit of effort. The new browser updates are distributed every two weeks by way of the Mac App Store’s software update mechanism. And it will also work with iCloud.
Another advantage is that the new browser will allow developers to access the latest versions of Web Inspector and Responsive Design Mode. Responsive Design Mode is used to help developers build websites that work across devices, like from desktop to mobile.
Source: Tech Crunch