 |
Firefox Platform 2012 Roadmap |
| Owner: Chris Blizzard |
Updated: 2012-01-25 |
| This roadmap outlines the current strategy and direction for Mozilla Platform development through 2012. It mostly covers new developer-facing APIs. Work on performance and reliability is done elsewhere. |
Vision
We want the platform in Firefox to enable app-quality experiences and developer productivity that rivals native platforms.
Networking
| Name
|
Description
|
Status
|
When
|
Who
|
| Compete WebSockets to Match RFC
|
This brings WebSockets to the point where it matches the IETF RFC. It includes the protocol and API bits from the W3C.
|
Done
|
Done
|
Networking & Blizzard
|
| Support for SPDY
|
SPDY is a new protocol built on the request app model of the web that allows for multiplexing, connection sharing and is SSL-only. It saves costs for server vendors who will have to deal with fewer connections per page load. And for end users it makes pages generally feel faster to load.
|
Checked in for testing, not enabled by default.
|
Testing in Q1, deployment depending on feedback.
|
Networking & Blizzard
|
| DASH WebM Support
|
This adds support for adaptive streaming for video with the WebM codec. It's based on the WebM + DASH spec.
|
Work underway
|
Work underway in Q1. Delivery based on spec stability and feedback, but hopefully in Q2.
|
Networking & Blizzard
|
| HTTP Pipelining
|
This adds support for HTTP pipelining to desktop browsers by default. HTTP pipelining offers a significant page load performance win especially over higher-latency connections (like mobile or any trans-oceanic connection.) The risk here is medium, as the patches have excellent back-off characteristics but pipelining has historically been considered to be difficult to implement. Pipelining is actually used on most mobile devices, but hasn't been turned on in desktop browsers to date.
|
Has patches
|
After SPDY is done.
|
Networking & Blizzard
|
| HTTP Pre-connections
|
Adding support for pre-connections would open HTTP connections ahead of page loads or after search results under the assumption that users will always go to the same sites.
|
Not started
|
After pipelining.
|
Networking & Blizzard
|
Apps
| Name
|
Description
|
Status
|
When
|
Who
|
| Identity (Verified Email)
|
This gives us the ability to assert that an email address has been verified, which is a proxy for identity. This has its own roadmap, but is worth mentioning because it's an important part of the overall roadmap for the rest of the apps platform.
|
First stage already deployed, with more UI coming in later quarters.
|
Q1
|
Dan Mills
|
| Receipts
|
Receipts allows you to assert that a particular identity has paid for a service or item.
|
Underway (Jennifer)
|
Q1?
|
Dan Mills
|
| Install process for Apps
|
An install process allows you to install an app into your browser or into your operating system.
|
Underway
|
Q1?
|
Jennifer
|
| Make App Cache opportunistic for Firefox Desktop
|
This makes the app cache act much like our current cache, in that it has a bounded size and will expire old data. It also means we don't have to ask the user for permission to install something without context. This is useful in the browser context.
|
Waiting
|
Q2
|
DOM & Media & Blizzard
|
| Updates to the App Cache
|
We need to update the App Cache to make it work better in many situations that have been identified since the original specs were written. This includes support in the face of CDNs, extra APIs, etc.
|
Scoping
|
Q2 to finish scoping and start work
|
DOM & Networking & Blizzard
|
| Improve Register Protocol Handler
|
We need to improve our register protocol handler for Apps.
|
Unknown (Ben)
|
?
|
DOM & Ben
|
| Replacement for Web Intents
|
Web Intents allows applications to register themselves to handle actions and content. The current spec is apparently quite large and complicated and never got off the ground. So it needs re-visiting.
|
Unknown (tantek & hason)
|
Maybe start in Q1?
|
Tantek & Hanson
|
| Install trigger - Scope in Q1
|
In order to support installations we need the ability for a web site to trigger an install. This is essentially part of our store functionality.
|
Scoping
|
Q1
|
Hanson
|
| Push Notifications
|
Push notifications allow us to push data to installed apps on people's computers and browsers. This would be a pretty major change to the architecture of the web, is closely and would need background tasks and and activation system to support it. These would only be available to "installed" apps.
|
Unscoped
|
Later in 2012
|
Blizzard
|
| Background tasks
|
Background tasks are things that apps can do in the background. These things could be the result of a push notification, network event or a timer that's running. They would only be available to "installed" applications, but could prove very useful.
|
Unscoped
|
Later in 2012
|
Blizzard
|
| Low-level Socket API
|
One thing that's oft requested (especially for games) is a low-level read/write socket API that's available for installed apps. Native platforms can do this easily. This would not be available to untrusted applications/web pages.
|
Unscoped
|
Later in 2012
|
DOM & Networking & Blizzard
|
| Open HTTP without cookies
|
One thing that's often requested by app developers is the ability to make arbitrary HTTP requests that don't share the cookie state with the browser. This is similar to the low-level socket API but is HTTP-specific. Another way to describe this: getting rid of the cross-domain restrictions for installed applications. This would not be available to untrusted applications/web pages.
|
Unscoped
|
Later in 2012
|
DOM & Networking & Blizzard
|
Devices
See also: the WebAPI page.
| Name
|
Description
|
Status
|
When
|
Who
|
| Taking a picture
|
This lets a web page take a picture using the built-in camera for the device or PC.
|
Works on Mobile. Does not work on Desktop.
|
Q2 (maybe)
|
Media & DOM & Firefox & Maire
|
| Finish IndexedDB
|
This completes the changes that happened to the IndexedDB spec and working on performance problems.
|
Done
|
2011Q4
|
Blizzard & DOM
|
| Upload a Directory
|
This lets you pick a directory and make it available to both File APIs or upload directly. It should maintain the subtree structure in the original filesystem.
|
Not started
|
Q2
|
Hanson, DOM & Blizzard
|
| Access to Local Media Storage (including USB)
|
This gives access to local media for permitted applications and web pages to upload, sync, or otherwise access. This should be similar to the way that we upload files now, and eventually directories. It just flattens access across devices, PCs, phones, etc. Includes music, pictures and video.
|
Not started
|
Q2
|
Hanson, DOM & Blizzard
|
| Drag files with download_url
|
Chrome includes the ability to mark am a href with a download_url. You can then drag that link to your desktop and the file is downloaded from the URL.
|
Not started
|
Later in 2012
|
DOM & Blizzard
|
| Finish touch and multi-touch
|
We've done some first-pass touch APIs for Windows 7 and mobile. The multi-touch support and gesture support isn't done yet, so we need to finish them. This will be true for Windows 7 and Android.
|
Unknown
|
Later in 2012
|
DOM & Mobile & Firefox & Blizzard & Sicking
|
B2G APIs (Not managed here.)
Dialer (B2G) - Underway
Network Status (B2G) - Underway
Vibration (B2G) - Underway
Battery (B2G) - Underway
Contacts (sicking & B2G) - Underway
Ambient Light (B2G) - Q2
Proximity to Your Face (B2G) - Q2
Layout
Please also see the Layout Feature Planning Page.
| Name
|
Description
|
Status
|
When
|
Who
|
| Readability / Font Size inflation
|
This is the ability to resize text for mobile devices based on the size of the screen and the reasonable minimum size for text.
|
The main layout parts of this were done in Q4 of 2011. There's still some additional work being done in Q1 based on the feedback we've seen.
|
Q1
|
David Baron & Mobile & Blizzard
|
| CSS Flexbox
|
This adds support for something like the XUL box model to the web. It's being implemented in other browsers. It's very important for app layouts and will be a huge upgrade for the web.
|
Work underway
|
Q1 for single-line flexbox, Q2 for multi-line. Spec is still in a bit of flex.
|
Layout & Blizzard
|
| CSS Grid
|
This adds grid layout support to our layout engine. Something well-known in the design community.
|
Not started
|
Start in Q1
|
Layout & Blizzard
|
| CSS Regions
|
Add support for CSS Regions to the layout engine
|
Not started
|
Later in 2012
|
Layout & Blizzard
|
| CSS Exclusions
|
Add support for CSS Exclusions to the layout engine
|
Not started
|
Later in 2012
|
Layout & Blizzard
|
| @page support
|
Add support for @page
|
Not started
|
Later in 2012
|
Layout & Blizzard
|
| ruby support
|
Add support for HTML5 ruby
|
Not started
|
Later in 2012
|
Layout & Blizzard
|
| Spring Scrolling Support
|
Add support for spring scrolling
|
Not started
|
Later in 2012
|
Jonas & Blizzard
|
| Scrolling APIs
|
Add support for decent scrolling APIs
|
Not started
|
Later in 2012
|
Jonas & Blizzard
|
Media
| Name
|
Description
|
Status
|
When
|
Who
|
| Full Screen Support
|
This lets any element on the page go into full screen mode. It's useful for watching HTML5 videos, full screen games, simulations, or anything else that you want to immerse yourself into.
|
Done
|
Q4, 2011
|
Blizzard & Media
|
| WebRTC
|
This is support for real time, audio, video & data communications between two browsers. The connections are point to point, with only the initial rendezvous between clients via a server.
|
Underway
|
Demo in Q1
|
Maire & Media
|
| Media Stream Processing APIs
|
This adds support for media processing, chaining and processing that unifies the Audio Data / Audio Web APIs, video, RTC and other related items into a single useful API.
|
Underway
|
Demo in Q1
|
Blizzard & Media
|
| Mouse Lock
|
This compliments the full screen APIs and lets you use the mouse as a controller instead of as a pointing device. Good for first person shooters, simulators, etc.
|
Underway
|
Later in 2012
|
Humphd & Blizzard & Media
|
| Video Capture & Upload
|
This is the ability to record a video locally and upload it to a server once it's recorded.
|
Not started.
|
Later in 2012
|
Blizzard & Media
|
Tests
| Name
|
Description
|
Status
|
When
|
Who
|
| Finish tests on html5test.org
|
It's used as a proxy for HTML5 support in order to rate browsers.
|
Ongoing
|
All through 2012
|
Everyone
|
| Finish test on areweplayingyet.org
|
It's used as a proxy for HTML5 audio support.
|
Ongoing
|
All through 2012
|
Everyone
|
