'TraceMonkey' JavaScript interpreter set for upcoming Firefox
(Computerworld) Mozilla Corp. said on Friday that it has added the fruits of a two-month JavaScript turbopower project to the latest preview of its next browser, Firefox 3.1, which boosts some benchmark speeds by nearly 40 times over those of Firefox 3.0.
The new Mozilla JavaScript interpreter is also about 2.4 times faster than the newest interpreter slated for Apple Inc.'s Safari, according to benchmark tests.
Dubbed "TraceMonkey," the revamped JavaScript engine will make possible Web-based applications that are today too sluggish to be acceptable, said Mike Shaver, Mozilla's interim head of engineering. "We're making JavaScript disappear as far as performance is concerned," said Shaver, who pointed out a photo-editing demonstration that his predecessor, Mike Schroepfer, put together to show off TraceMonkey's speed.
"One example is to use the browser as a very simple Photoshop," said Shaver. "[Editing an image requires] things that, for each step, take the better part of a second. That's not a great user experience. But [with TraceMonkey], now you have something that comes close to interactive performance."
More: http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9113318&source=NLT_AM&nlid=1
(Computerworld) Mozilla Corp. said on Friday that it has added the fruits of a two-month JavaScript turbopower project to the latest preview of its next browser, Firefox 3.1, which boosts some benchmark speeds by nearly 40 times over those of Firefox 3.0.
The new Mozilla JavaScript interpreter is also about 2.4 times faster than the newest interpreter slated for Apple Inc.'s Safari, according to benchmark tests.
Dubbed "TraceMonkey," the revamped JavaScript engine will make possible Web-based applications that are today too sluggish to be acceptable, said Mike Shaver, Mozilla's interim head of engineering. "We're making JavaScript disappear as far as performance is concerned," said Shaver, who pointed out a photo-editing demonstration that his predecessor, Mike Schroepfer, put together to show off TraceMonkey's speed.
"One example is to use the browser as a very simple Photoshop," said Shaver. "[Editing an image requires] things that, for each step, take the better part of a second. That's not a great user experience. But [with TraceMonkey], now you have something that comes close to interactive performance."
More: http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9113318&source=NLT_AM&nlid=1
