Since the birthday update, Microsoft has kicked off extensions for its Microsoft Edge browser. This one now officially supports extensions after long months spent in beta with a limited number of extensions available for Windows Insider program members.
But it remains to convince the developers to carry their extensions and other additions to Microsoft's new browser. A spot far from easy: Edge has a market share significantly lower than that of Internet Explorer fire with 5.09% in June 2016 according to NetMarketShare.
Automating porting from Chrome to Edge
But Microsoft has a plan. The technologies used by Microsoft Edge to manage extensions are indeed very similar to those chosen by Google on its Chrome browser. The publisher today announces the availability of its tool "Microsoft Edge Extension Toolkit", a software mainly aimed at simplifying the life of developers wishing to carry their extensions to the browser of Microsoft.
This will make it possible to harmonize API calls by converting those used for Chrome to those supported by Edge, using polyfill techniques as needed. The Microsoft Edge Extension Toolkit is also responsible for creating the JSON manifests needed to port the extension and provides error reports to allow developers to look at aspects that automation has not managed to handle.
Microsoft hopes that its arguments will convince developers of extensions, mainly focused on Chrome, to bring their extensions to Edge in order to fill the catalog available on the browser.
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