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18.05.2018

Firefox 61 brings code inspection to web developers

Firefox 61 lets developers inspect and interact with original code in the debugger as if the code had never been minified or bundled

Now available, the Firefox 61 Developer Edition is providing developers code inspection and workflow enhancements.

By understanding tools such as the Babel JavaScript compiler and the Webpack module bundler, Firefox 61 lets developers inspect and interact with original code in the debugger as if the code had never been minified or bundled. Mozilla also is developing native support to inspect components and scopes in React and other frameworks.

Also, tools can be arranged to suit a developer’s particular workflow. For example, tabs that do not fit in the current window can be quickly accessed in an overflow menu. The Network panel adds drop-down menus for network throttling as well as importing and exporting HTTP Archive (HAR) files. The developer edition also implements a multitier compiler for the WebAssembly bytecode format, for the AARch64 CPU architecture used in smartphones and tablets.

The production version of Firefox 61 for users is slated for release on June 26. Other features in the Version 61 developer edition include:

  • Searchable websites can be added to the browser via Page Action > Add Search Engine. The sites have to describe their search APIs via OpenSearch metadata. The OpenSearch format lets a website describe a search engine, so it can be used by a browser or other client application.
  • The dark theme in the developer edition darkens more parts of the browser, including a new tab page.
  • CSS stylesheets now are parsed in multiple threads, which can improve first paint times for websites, especially when multiple stylesheets are on a single page.
  • On MacOS, browser add-ons now run as a separate, dedicated process, matching the Windows behavior. This will let the browser stay responsive even if an add-on is functioning.
  • The new Accessibility Inspector tool reveals the logical structure of a page as it might appear on a screen reader or assistive software.

Where to download Firefox Developer Edition

You can download the Firefox Developer Edition from Mozilla’s webpage.