If Microsoft Fluid Framework works, Google has some catching up to do
We've known about Microsoft's Fluid Framework since Build 2019, but now it seems the company build out its feature set. As part of its Build 2020 announcements today, Microsoft announced that new Fluid Framework integrations will be made in Office 365, specifically in Outlook and Office.com. On top of these new integrations, Microsoft also made a big announcement today regarding making Fluid Framework open source.In a post to the Microsoft Tech Community today, Dan Zarzar explains that Fluid Framework is definitely still in its early stages. The previews that launched last year for enterprise customers and developers is being updated today with new components – for instance, Outlook for the web will allow users to insert a collection of components like tables, charts, and task lists directly into emails and chats.
The Office.com integrations, on the other hand, will allow users to create Fluid workspaces that can be managed through the activity feed, recommended list, or through mentions of other team members, which allow them to begin collaborating as well. You can check out the new Fluid Framework preview by heading over to the Fluid website.
Perhaps even bigger news than the expanded preview is the news that Microsoft is sending its Fluid Framework open source so developers can implement it in their applications. "Discovering the full potential of the Fluid Framework can only be accomplished through creating a diverse, open, and vibrant developer community," Microsoft 365 corporate vice president Jared Spataro wrote in a separate article today.
"For this reason, Microsoft will be making the Fluid Framework open source, allowing developers and creators to use key infrastructure from Fluid Framework in their own applications." Spataro added that developers who replace their static data structures with Fluid data structures will find that their apps instantly support real-time collaboration. Microsoft didn't say when we'll see the code for Fluid Framework go live, but we'll keep an ear to the ground for more.