Once again, the blogosphere is atwitter over something stupid. Early last week it was over the "report" that Internet Explorer users had lower IQs than users of other browsers -- which turned out to be a hoax that produced endless pontificating. Then as the week progressed it was the shocking "news" that Microsoft Office 15 will switch to HTML5 and JavaScript, making all your line-of-business applications obsolete.
Wrong again!
Old news shocks the blogosphere
First, Microsoft's plans to include HTML5 and JavaScript in Office 15 isn't news. Way back in May -- back before Steve Sinofsky and Julie Larson-Green announced that HTML5 and JavaScript would become the favorite sons of Windows 8 development -- a couple of folks on MSDN Channel 9 had already sussed out that Microsoft intended to bring HTML5 and JavaScript into the next Office release. Citing three separate help-wanted ads on the Microsoft Careers website seeking developers who could help make HTML5 and JavaScript development platforms for Office 15, they surmised that Office 15 add-ins could be written with HTML5 and/or JavaScript.
Microsoft was hardly hiding anything: "In Office 15," one of Microsoft's ads said, "we are focusing on building a modern application model centered around Web technologies like HTML and JavaScript, as we adapt to trends in the industry." Again, that was back in May.
Another Microsoft help-wanted ad said, "One of our key goals is to enable professional developers to contribute to the Office platform by making development for Office as easy and fun as building applications for the next version of Windows. Integration of JavaScript/HTML5 will enable developers to create rich applications that span clients and server, integrate with Office 365, enhance the SharePoint experience, and unlock new scenarios that unleash the great potential that lies in the combination of Office and the cloud."
It's pretty clear where Microsoft is going with Office 15 programming, wouldn't you say?
But for some strange reason, a handful of bloggers "discovered" what's been obvious for months: Office 15, like Windows 8, will include built-in support for programming in HTML5 and JavaScript.
