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Opera planning to unleash developer tools

Published July 28th, 2006 12:50 PM EDT By Daniel Goldman

Earlier this month Opera asked me to solicit new browser features and functionality for future versions of Opera (Opera 9.x and Opera 10) from my readers. One of the more popular requests was for Opera to create developer tools.

Now word has come out from Opera that it is planning on creating developer tools to incorporate into the browser.

According to Opera’s PR manager for the desktop, Thomas Ford, Opera is now in the planning stages. “We want developers to use Opera as a Web development platform, using open standards. We need to keep the Web ready for open standards,” Ford told ZDNet UK.

Developers have been asking for tools, such as a DOM inspector, in the Opera browser for quite some time. It’s nice to see Opera paying attention to its users.

It’s also in Opera’s best interest to create these developer tools. If developers start using Opera as a web development platform, those sites are less likely to cause rendering trouble for alternative browsers.

As we’ve seen with the Opera Nintendo DS browser, the web is now being accessed more and more from places other than the desktop. Creating websites based on open standards will ensure that they’re rendered properly, irrespective of their browser platform.

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9 Comments

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  1. 1 Eddie Jul 28th, 2006 at 1:21 pm
    using Opera Opera 9.01 on Windows Windows XP

    Perfect. I’m glad Opera is going in this direction.

    Great scott, I can’t wait until the day when the majority of techies, developers, and designers all say “well, just pick the browser that works best for you…” instead of “I’ll *NEVER* use Opera because… “

  2. 2 Sohil Jul 28th, 2006 at 1:35 pm
    using Opera Opera 9.00 on Windows Windows XP

    Like What.

    DOM Inspector or something.

  3. 3 non-troppo Jul 28th, 2006 at 3:30 pm
    using Opera Opera 9.01 on Windows Windows XP

    V9:
    cross-plaform = check
    widgets = check
    DOM inspector* = check

    V10
    cross-plaform = check
    more widgets = check
    native DOM inspector = check

    So we already have V10 disguised as V9 feature-wise??? Yawn.

    —-
    * There are excellent DOM inspectors already available for Opera, see http://operawiki.info/webdevtoolbar for some more

  4. 4 Darken Jul 28th, 2006 at 9:07 pm
    using Opera Opera 9.01 on Windows Windows XP

    Two words: Good news.

  5. 5 joe bloggs Jul 28th, 2006 at 10:26 pm
    using Safari Safari 419.3 on Mac OS Mac OS X

    This has been obvious for a long time :p

  6. 6 Andrew Gregory Jul 29th, 2006 at 1:07 am
    using Opera Opera 9.00 on Windows Windows XP

    Web developer tools are probably the best thing Opera can do to improve “compatibility”. There are hints of a Javascript debugger in opera:config, hopefully the tools will go beyond that and have a proper native DOM Inspector (that’s fairly obvious, though).

    I’d also like to see some improvements to the page Info panel - links to all the files loaded by the page grouped by type - so you don’t need to search the page source looking for script and style sheet references.

    This is great news. I can’t wait to see what Opera are cooking up!

  7. 7 Seamus Jul 29th, 2006 at 10:51 pm
    using Mozilla Firefox Mozilla Firefox 2.0b1 on Windows Windows XP

    With the release of Opera 9, I have been using both Opera and Firefox. But with the past week of diving into wrapping my head around Javascript, I have been using Firefox because of FireBug. In short, great developer tools for Opera will be a boom for compatibility with Opera.

  8. 8 FataL Aug 4th, 2006 at 3:04 pm
    using Opera Opera 9.01 on Windows Windows XP

    :wait:

  9. 9 scipio Aug 10th, 2006 at 5:15 pm
    using Opera Opera 9.01 on Windows Windows XP

    I hope this means that the Message Console will be redesigned as well. I need my JS Console Panel back!

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Opera Watch, an Opera browser blog, is run by Daniel Goldman, who used to work for Opera Software as a Technical Evangelist.

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About Opera


Q: What is Opera?
A: Opera is one of the most powerful Web browsers around. A Web browser is the program that allows you to view Web pages. Opera is well known for innovation for PC browsers and bringing the full web to mobile phones and devices.

Q: Is Opera free?
A: Absolutely free.

Q: Why should I download a browser? Doesn't my computer already come with one for free?
A: It's about getting more out of the time you spend on the internet. Opera is designed to be much faster than these browsers and gives you powerful features that the default browser lacks. Default browsers like Internet Explorer are also more likely to be subjected to dangerous software such as viruses and spyware.

Q: Will Opera keep me safe from fraudulent websites and malicious hackers?
A: According to Secunia, a respected firm that tracks security in browsers, Opera has the best reputation and track record when it comes to browser security. Keeping our users safe from security vulnerabilities, fraudulent websites, and malicious hackers is a top priority for Opera. Opera is maintained by hundreds of engineers, developers and security experts who are constantly looking to make the browser even safer.

Q: Doesn't Opera copy all of their features from other browsers?
A: Absolutely not. In fact, many of the features that are popular in other browsers today were invented and pioneered by Opera a long time ago. Opera invented the precursor to tabs (in 1994), Page Zoom (1994), was the first browser to block pop-up ads (2000), first to add a Search field in the browser toolbar (2000), Sessions (1996), deleting private data (2000), Mouse Gestures (2000), User JavaScript (2005), BitTorrent support (2005), Widgets (2006), Speed Dial (2007), and much more.

Q: Does Opera support extensions, such as those found in Firefox?
A: Much of the functionality provided through Firefox extensions is already built directly into Opera, so you don't have to download additional extensions in Opera. In addition, Opera is highly customizable and supports all standard plug-ins.

Q: Can I also use Opera on my mobile phone?
A: Yes. And your Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS or almost any connected device and mobile phones. Opera Mobile oftens comes preinstalled from the manufacturers, but if it doesn't you can install Opera Mini which runs on nearly all phones.

Q: This all sounds great, so how do I download Opera?
A: -- Opera on your computer
-- Opera Mini on your phone
-- Opera Mobile on your phone
-- or learn more about Opera at www.opera.com