Microsoft to Open Source Edge’s and IE’s JavaScript Engine

Say what?

During the JSConf conference, Microsoft has announced that they will be open sourcing Charka, the JavaScript engine behind Edge and Internet Explorer.

Starting in January, 2016, users will be able to explore Chakra on GitHub, which will be dubbed “ChakraCore”. Why named it like that? Well, while the software giant will indeed open source the whole JavaScript engine, the are some differences between the two: ChakraCore lacks the “glue” between JavaScript engine and the browser’s HTML engine as well as “glue” between Universal Windows Platform and the JavaScript engine. Chakra also includes COM Diagnostic APIs that won’t be open sourced as well. However, that does not seem like a loss.

According to Microsoft, AMD and Intel have already expressed the interest in contributing to the engine, and only time will tell what other companies join the development.

Overall, a pretty strategic and welcome move.

[Via: ArsTechnica]