Microsoft open sources Edge browser transcompiler code

Firm makes available code for its converter between WebGL and DirectX shading languages

Microsoft has released as open source a component of the WebGL renderer in its Edge browser, a move it says will help engineers who maintain WebGL implementations across various platforms

The company's latest open source move sees it release the code for the OpenGL Shading Language (GLSL) to HLSL transcompiler, a component of Edge used when rendering graphics content.

The function of this transcompiler is to take content created for GLSL and convert it to HLSL, a Windows-specific shading language used by Edge to render content.

"Microsoft Edge converts WebGL content to DirectX equivalents to display it. The WebGL renderer converts WebGL calls into DirectX equivalents, and the transcompiler converts GLSL shaders to HLSL shaders," said Frank Olivier, Microsoft's principal programme manager lead for Edge.

Olivier explained that the HLSL to GLSL transcompiler is the most critical component of the WebGL stack from an interoperability perspective, and that Microsoft decided to release it as open source to help developers working on similar WebGL projects, and to drive greater performance, correctness and interoperability for WebGL.

"We expect it to be the most interesting for the specialised audience of engineers who maintain WebGL implementations on different platforms. We may expand the scope of the release to other sub-components over time," he added.

The move follows a number of similar open source releases from Microsoft in recent months, such as the decision to make core components of the Chakra JavaScript engine available in Edge under an open source licence.

However, Olivier was adamant that this will not extend to making the entire Edge application code open source.

"At this time we have no plans to open source Microsoft Edge or EdgeHTML, but we understand and value the importance of being more open with our roadmap and our core technologies," he said.

"We continue to be committed to even more transparency with the engineering of Microsoft Edge in the future."