What happens between Firefox 3.0 and 4.0?

Firefox 2.0 just got out, but it's already the next version. On the contrary I will try to talk a bit further about the next version 4.

Roughly written, the core part is completely renewed in Ver 3.0. Specifically, the memory is not stupid, the bookmark becomes a new model, and drawing speed is increased. And in Ver 4.0 we will do even more complete renovation, smaller and faster.

Details are as follows.
Firefox 3.0 Already?

Currently, Firefox 3.0 is under development and the code name is "Gran Paradiso" (named from the mountain called Grand Paradiso). Alpha version has been released. The release schedule is the first quarter of 2007. Several functions that were planned to be installed in Firefox 2.0 will be implemented.

Firefox 3 / Schedule - Mozilla Wiki

One of the new functions is called "Places", which is intended to replace the bookmark function and history function. Actually, the current bookmarks and history have not changed from the first stage, that is, from the era of Netscape before Mozilla before Firefox, and the design philosophy itself seems to be in the dialup era. In other words, it is not suitable for the current era when the current broadband has been made, the net has expanded rapidly, the number of sites is getting stupid and complicated. I was planning to debut at Firefox 2.0 but it was not completed so I was sent off. I am looking forward to see how much improvement has been achieved.

Also, in Firefox 3.0, graphics related to drawing is completely redesigned and it becomes another thing. Specifically, it seems to use "Cairo 2-D" graphics library.

Cairo - introduction
http://cairographics.org/

It exists as a graphics subsystem of KDE, and of course open source. This seems to enable various graphic effects such as so-called semi-transparent window, higher performance window drawing, free expansion and contraction by vector base. Also, from Windows Vista, since the OS itself uses the function of the graphic board, there is a high possibility that various graphic boards will be loaded as standard on a variety of machines from the beginning with some higher level than before, There seems to be some prospects for the future that the functions of the board are fully drawn out and used.

However, in order to migrate this graphic drawing library from the conventional one to Cairo, Windows 95, 98, Me will not be supported in Firefox 3.0. In other words, if it is Windows 2000 or later it will be out of action.

In addition to those, in Firefox 3.0 we are planning to implement implementations further down from JavaScript 1.7 adopted from 2.0, it will support exactly as standard for various standards, even in CSS rendering etc. Similarly, it seems that we will do rendering under correct interpretation.

And the most important changes in Firefox 3.0 and 4.0 are to change the core code of Gecko. Until the 2.0 series up to the present, I used codes based on Gecko 1.8, but I adopted 1.9 in Firefox 3.0. Furthermore, it seems that Firefox 4.0 will use 2.0 based Gecko. In other words, it will make file size smaller, speed up startup speed and execution speed, and make code maintenance easier.

Furthermore, by installing JIT (Just In Time) compiler-oriented JavaScript VM, it seems that we can dramatically improve the performance of AJAX. It is common now that AJAX is used with heavy processing, but this seems to be improved. Moreover, it seems that it can also reduce the security risk by this.

By the way, the timing of Firefox 4.0 is scheduled for 2008. It will be smaller, faster, safer Firefox ... it seems. Expect great.

·Related Links
Extension of Mozilla Firefox Thunderbird Tomorrow - MEMO Permanent Links (Part 3 of August 2006)

Play with Firefox 3.0a1 Nightly Builds at orioa

Firefox 3.0 bookmark - Motohiko's diary