Google Chrome is a popular web browser that has been around for years now. It’s one of the most popular browsers on the internet, and it’s also one of the most advanced. Chrome has a number of features that make it stand out from other browsers, and one of them is its ability to make web apps look better. One way Chrome makes web apps look better is by using a technique called “WebGL.” WebGL is a technology that allows developers to create 3D graphics in browsers. This means that web apps can look much more realistic than they would if they were just text or images. There are a few different ways to use WebGL in web apps. One way is to use the “WebGL context” feature. This allows you to set up rules so that when you run an app in WebGL, the app will always use the latest version of OpenGL. This means that your app won’t crash or run slowly when you try to use it in a browser with older versions of OpenGL. Another way to use WebGL is through “webgl_render_buffer.” This function lets you create buffers for holding data when you’re rendering an image or video in WebGL. This means that your app can save time by not having to render everything at once and then copy it over when you’re done. The final way to make web apps look better is by using “webgl_program_parameters.” These are variables that let you control how your app looks when run in WebGL. You can set these variables so that your app looks different depending on which device you’re running it on, or you can set them so that they work together like a single unit. All of these techniques are great for making web apps look more realistic and consistent across devices, but there’s one more thing Google Chrome offers that makes it even better: “webgl_program_options.” These are variables that let you control
Google has been working on dozens of new features for web apps in Chrome over the past few years, making it possible for software like Photoshop to run in a browser. There’s another improvement currently in the works: borderless windows for web apps.
The Google Chrome team announced an “intent to prototype” today for “borderless mode for installed desktop web apps,” which would allow web apps installed to a computer to completely control (and change the look of) the title bar. Right now, most web apps use the default system title bar when they are installed, which also has buttons for opening Chrome menus. Web apps have the option to cover some of the title bar area right now, but not the entire area.
The new feature would allow web applications to create their own close, minimize, and maximize buttons, and add any controls to the title bar area. Most web apps won’t have a need for this functionality, but some may use it to fit more content in the title bar area, just like native desktop applications. For example, applications like Slack, Discord, and Microsoft Excel use the full title bar for additional buttons and controls.
If the feature does roll out in a Chrome update, it could lead to web apps looking and feeling more like their native counterparts. Many games also use borderless windows as an alternative to full-screen mode.
The current plan is for borderless windows in web apps to require granting a permission, because it would hide the security info and extensions panel that Chrome adds to all windows. It also won’t work unless you install the web app first, so those two safeguards should prevent malicious web apps from using the feature (e.g. disguising the window as a security prompt or other system service).
It’s not clear yet if other web browsers will implement the feature, assuming the limited test in Chrome doesn’t run into any problems.
Source: Google Groups
