The teams behind the Apple Safari, Google Chrome, Apple Safari, Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge have teamed up to improve extensions, the add-ons you can download to customize the software, according to CNET.
The teams unveiled a discussion and development forum at the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) dedicated to developing standards for extensions. The forum is dubbed the WebExtensions Community Group.
The forum’s website describes it this way: With multiple browsers adopting a broadly compatible model for extensions in the last few years, the WECG is excited to explore how browser vendors and other interested parties can work together to advance a common browser extension platform.
Apple, Google, Microsoft and Mozilla are initiating this community group, and we welcome other browser makers, extension developers, and interested parties to join this effort!
The community group seeks to align on a common vision for browser extensions and to work towards future standardization. Specifically, we plan to:
- Make extension creation easier for developers by specifying a consistent model and common core of functionality, APIs, and permissions.
- Outline an architecture that enhances performance and is even more secure and resistant to abuse.
Our work will be guided by a common set of HTML and W3C TAG design principles: user-centered, compatibility, performance, security, privacy, portability, maintainability, and well-defined behavior.
