- How far away from a release is this?
- Given that Apple does not allow other render engines. What makes this Firefox?
- Given that Apple does not allow other render engines. What makes this Firefox?
I think that's an interesting question. Is a browser defined by its rendering engine or by its features and UI?
When Chrome used WebKit, it was clearly understood by everyone to be different from Safari, even though the rendering engine was the same (I know, the differences were big), but a Firefox browser that uses WebKit seems to not be considered Firefox.
Personally, while I understand the philosophical and political differences, I think the browser is defined by its features, not the rendering engine: the user wants their bookmarks to sync between the phone and the computer, they don't care whether the two programs use the same library to draw the page on the screen or not, just like they don't care which malloc() implementation they use.
To put it in fewer words: Chrome on iOS is still Chrome, not Safari, because it has Chrome's features.
(This would not have been true a decade ago, but rendering engines compatibility is much less of an issue now)
Chrome was on webkit but used V8. And unless something has changed all non-safari browsers and webviews use an inferior JS engine.
Edit: (Something has changed, WKWebView now has the Nitro JS Engine, cool beans)
So, to be fair, Chrome was much more than V8 (which was also a part of its voodoo)
Nope, IE8 was: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ie/archive/2008/03/11/ie8-and-loosel...
The icon and a bit of UI design. That plus the ability to sync bookmarks and passwords with Firefox Sync. Otherwise, it's Firefox in name only. It's just a skin over Safari, like all other iOS browsers as per Apple's rules.
And with the release of WKWebView, I guess it makes it a skin.
Really? Can you provide a link?
> Are there any alternatives way to build code for iOS?
http://iphonedevwiki.net/index.php/Compiling_iOS_application...
No restrictions there.
License: http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/gadgetlab/files/iphone-sdk...
Relevant parts (emphasis in italics):
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3.3 Program Requirements for Applications
Any Application developed using this SDK must comply with these criteria and requirements, as they may be modified by Apple from time to time: ....
3.3.2 An Application may not itself install or launch other executable code by any means, including without limitation through the use of a plug-in architecture, calling other frameworks, other APIs or otherwise. No interpreted code may be downloaded and used in an Application except for code that is interpreted and run by Apple's Published APIs and builtin interpreter(s).
-----------------------
Combine the above with this:
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3.2 Use of the SDK
As a condition to using the SDK, You agree that: (a) You will only use the SDK for the purposes and in the manner expressly permitted by this Agreement and in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations;
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TL;DR (at least how I understood it and IANAL) you can't even legally build any browser which uses its own engine and can run JavaScript code from the network (which is virtually any browser) if you use iOS SDK from Apple.
Of course you can simply ignore this sick level of insanity and build whatever you want, but we are talking about that Apple attempted to legally ban you from building certain applications (it's not even about accepting them in the store, it's about building in compliance with the SDK license!).
Such kind of stuff makes me have zero respect for Apple in general.
Simple, you can use it personally, or for example submit it to Cydia or any other place without Apple's censorship. Just post it as a download after all. There is nothing illegal in distributing for jailbroken devices.
But that's really irrelevant. The license here doesn't even get to that part - it forbids you to build the browser, regardless of any of your further plans how to use or distribute it. It's completely sick.
http://www.apple.com/legal/sla/docs/xcode.pdf
I lightly skimmed the iOS SDK part and ctrl + F'ed for key words (executable, SDK, Javascript, code) and nothing like those paragraphs you referenced showed up
https://developer.apple.com/programs/ios/information/iOS_Pro...
And hooked it from the SDK agreement with this:
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2.2 <...> You understand and agree that Applications developed using these SDK materials cannot be installed or used on an iOS Product or submitted to the App Store unless You enter into a separate iOS Developer Program Agreement with Apple and comply with the Program Requirements. Information regarding the iOS Developer Program Agreement and the Program Requirements is available within the iOS Developer Program website at http://developer.apple.com/programs/ios/information/index.ht...
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And that brings almost all the same restrictions like before. It's marginally better since now actual building process is not declared illegal, but installation and running the result is. Which doesn't make any practical difference anyway.
> 2.17 Apps that browse the web must use the iOS WebKit
> framework and WebKit Javascript