Microsoft has released the preview of WinJS 4.0. WinJS is an Open Source JavaScript library by Microsoft which addresses the needs of web developers. The previous update on this library – WinJS 3.0, was focussed on cross-browser compatibility. By releasing a preview, Microsoft aims to make WinJS 4.0 not only a great framework for Windows apps but also for the web.
WinJS 4.0 Preview
The WinJS 4.0 library brings and enhances new user controls like WinJS SplitView, WinJS toolbar, content dialog, XY Focus etc. New touch capabilities of pivot control, WinJS controls as AngularJS directives, seamless integration with Angular data binding are the other highlights of WinJS 4.0.
For a period of over 1 year, tonnes of issues and community feedbacks have been reported and addressed by the open source developer community, led by Microsoft on a regular basis, with focus in the following critical areas:
Enabling universal experiences – Customers look for apps that work everywhere, on all form factors like phones, tablets, PCs, or even the living room TV. The needs of customers are constantly changing with the evolution of devices. WinJS provides a way to make it easy to create responsive apps that not only work across all screen sizes, but also with all input methods.
Interoperability – The ability to run WinJS alongside with an already existing framework. With WinJS 4.0, developers can work along with their favorite JS frameworks together. For example, by making use of WinJS wrapper, one could use WinJS seamlessly into their existing AngularJS projects.
Industrial strength ListView – Some of the best-in-class controls like ListView provides native performance and supports an extensive set of app scenarios. New features like striping, headers and footers, and improved selection have been a great value-addition.
WinJS 4.0 will emphasis on providing great app experiences. Microsoft believes that great responsive design should not only work for all screen sizes but also with different input types – keyboard, mouse, touch etc. WinJS has been designed keeping the above app experience aspects in mind.
