Firefox 6 released with improved tools for developers

Yesterday, Mozilla released the newest version of its open source browser which includes enhanced tools for developers.

The tweaks are intended to “make developing for the Web faster and easier” and the new Scratchpad tool is ideal for devs working in Javascript as it does away with the need to work in a one-line console.

Mozilla issued a statement to say: “Developers will enjoy the new Scratchpad tool, which makes it simple to quickly enter, execute, test and refine JavaScript snippets in Firefox.”

Also improved in Firefox 6 is the Web Console which now includes an auto-complete feature.

Mozilla say that devs will now find it easier to build “more responsive and interactive real-time messaging applications and HTML5 games on the web” with the new Window.matchMedia API which helps them optimise their app across different platforms.

New tab groups in Panorama now only load when selected, making the experience faster and the new “Awesome Bar” (that’s the address bar to you and me) highlights a site’s domain so you know where you are at a glance.

The bar has been tweaked to allow faster browsing, improved security and gives users greater control over results. The intuitive address bar learns your preferences over time, increasing performance and returning faster results.

The new switch-to tab stops you opening duplicate web pages, checking as you type to see if you already have a tab open at that address.

Users can also enjoy private browsing at the click of a button, automatically establish secure connections and opt out of tracking for certain sites as they browse.

Firefox for Android has also seen improvements, again with added dev tools and a new interface. Fonts and buttons have been optimised for tablet devices and further improvements for the platform are to be released in the future.

Image rendering has been improved so users will be able to enjoy faster zooming and less pixellation.

Added support for dev tools includes the single touch events API, in which devs can build in touch events and gestures enhancing mobile web apps that allow users to pan around maps with a swipe and improving gaming experiences.

Other improvements allow devs to work on local servers without the need for an internet connection, which will increase their ability to test apps.

The latest version of Firefox can be downloaded here, or mobile users can visit the Android Marketplace to download Firefox for Android.