Processing.js

Everyone must be very aware at this point that the words “Microsoft” and “Canvas” are usually combined to form negative sentences. But this does not have to be the case. As it stands, there are two options to consider when trying to use Processing.js in Internet Explorer.

1. ExCanvas via VML: http://excanvas.sourceforge.net/
2. IECanvas via Plugin: http://hg.mozilla.org/users/vladimir_mozilla.com/iecanvas
3. Silverlight: Cannot find an implementation of this yet.

Commercially speaking, the situation is a mess. The majority of web development positions will gear their web-app or web-site to work seamlessly on all browsers. Because the Canvas is not implemented in Internet Explorer, this leaves a superb technology unused and under-developed. It may be true that Silverlight has played a role in bypassing Canvas development at Microsoft, but now that Silverlight has arrived, are we still using the Canvas? Yes, more so than ever. This is not to degrade Silverlight, it has some very cool features and will probably play a big role in hardware devices of the future. But tools like Flash and Silverlight are a huge turn-off to a large proportion of web developers.

Are Microsoft Implementing The Canvas Already?

I got in touch with Pete LePage, a Project Manager for the Internet Explorer team and asked him whether we could expect to see the Canvas in IE9. Here is what he said:

Hey Al,

Having just shipped Internet Explorer 8, we aren’t ready to talk about future versions of the browser yet. We’re currently looking and evaluating many features and standards that developers have asked for. The best place to look for future announcements is on the IE blog at http://blogs.msdn.com/ie.

Thanks,

Pete

So the Internet Explorer team are “looking into many features and standards that developers have asked for”. Although this was not the news I wanted to hear, it is good news. It means that a) Microsoft are listening to their users and b) they are paying attention to standards. This gives you and me a golden opportunity: to get our voices heard and request the Canvas as a future-feature of the Internet Explorer browser.

Getting Yourself Heard at Microsoft

There are ways to get yourself heard at Microsoft. You can write letters, you can send emails, you can visit the IE blog above and post comments; but one thing that I would urge everyone to do is to join the Microsoft Connect service and get your request filed away into their databases. The Microsoft Connect service is a web-platform for communication between Microsoft Software Engineers and their developer community. If you develop sites/apps that work in IE, that community includes you. Unfortunately the sign-up and feature request process is a little confusing, and long-winded, so I have put together a guide to help people get to the right place.

Before I get to that, I wanted to share the link to the feature request page for the Canvas in Internet Explorer. Take a quick look at the comments so far. https://connect.microsoft.com/IE/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=334060 If you think you have something to say, or just want to officially add your vote as a web developer, you may want to read the guide below so you do not get lost in a maze of Microsoft web-forms.

Guide: Requesting Features for IE via Microsoft Connect

The Boring Bit

1) Connect uses a Microsoft Passport service, so if you already have a Microsoft Passport, you can skip to Step 11. If you don’t have a Microsoft Passport yet, you will need to register for one. Point your browser to: http://connect.microsoft.com/. And click the “Sign In” button.

2) If you do not have a Microsoft Passport click “Sign Up Now”:

3) I am going to make the assumption that you already have an email address, so click “Continue”:

4) Create your Microsoft Passport Credentials:

5) Agree to terms:

6) Continue:

7) Go to your email and click the “verify” link:

8 ) The link will take you to this page; where you are asked to confirm that the person clicking the link in your email was in fact… you:

9) Sign in to Microsoft Connect using your new Microsoft Passport credentials:

10) Strangely, you will then be signed in to the MSN network:

The Confusing Bit

11) Hit the Microsoft Connect network and sign in with your Microsoft Passport Credentials at: http://connect.microsoft.com/

12) OK: here is where it gets a little more confusing, click on the “Choose one of your connections” drop-down box:

13) You will now be asked to register to connect to an asset. This simply means that if Microsoft are going to listen to what you have to say, they want some contact information so they can get in touch with you. Click “Continue”:

14) Agree to some more terms:

15) Provide some contact details:

16) Click “Continue” and go get your email:

17) Once you have verified your email, choose your nick-name for the Microsoft Connect forum:

18) Click on “Connection Directory” to list various software packages:

19) Search for “Internet Explorer Beta Feedback” and then click the “Apply Now” link:

20) You will then be asked to register further contact information, but hey, that’s what you live for… right? Fill out the required fields and click continue:

21) Naturally you will need to confirm your email just one more time, (third time lucky):

The Bit You Expected

22) Congratulations! When you see this screen, you have successfully added IE8 to you Connect dashboard, you are almost there. Click the “Feedback” link to the top-left of the page:

23) On the Feedback page for IE8, type “Canvas” into the search box and submit the form:

24) Click on the link entitled: “Suggestion: Support for <canvas>” (ID:334060):

25) Now you have arrived on the official feedback/request form for the Canvas element on the Microsoft Connect service. Good work. Remember to give this issue a 5/5 rating and to click “view or add” to validate that you are getting the same error as everyone else (that there is no Canvas):

26) Scroll down to the comments section, click “add comment” and leave your vote +1 and anything you wish to say:

Finished, finally!

If you actually bothered to go through all that, pat yourself on the back, you just learned a great lesson in user-experience and earned yourself a medal, or perhaps a beer. It is great to see people like you contributing to the community and the continuation of tomorrow’s web technology. Now all you need to do is pray that Microsoft get the message and decide to implement Apple technology.

It worked with True Type fonts.