In the next major release of DevExpress (v18.1), we are dropping support for Internet Explorer (IE) 9 and 10 in DevExtreme and dependent products. The following subset of products will be affected:
- DevExtreme
- XAF Web & Mobile
- The following ASP.NET controls and their MVC extensions (these controls are built with DevExtreme):
- ASPxQueryBuilder
- ASPxWebDocumentViewer
- ASPxReportDesigner
- ASPxDashboard
- ASPxDashboardViewer
We wanted to drop support in 2017 but we understand that there are a small group of customers who still need IE 9/10. This is why we've been prolonging our support for IE9/10 in other ASP.NET controls for a while.
In a few months when v18.1 is released, DevExtreme controls (client-side and MVC) will no longer support IE 9/10. I recommend upgrading to the latest versions of IE, however, Microsoft recommends that you switch to Microsoft Edge. Of course, there's plenty of other great browers available like Chrome, FireFox, etc.
Microsoft does not support IE9 and IE10
Microsoft has stopped supporting IE9 and IE10 since January 12, 2016. It officially claims that:
Beginning January 12, 2016, only the most current version of Internet Explorer available for a supported operating system will receive technical supports and security updates. Internet Explorer 11 is the last version of Internet Explorer, and will continue to receive security updates, compatibility fixes, and technical support on Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10.
For us at DevExpress, it's costly to support older browsers for testing compatibility and patching older versions for support. However, there are two main concerns:
- We can not take advantage of modern web technologies (and approaches). That means we ca not deliver the best possible performance, user, and developer experience with DevExpress products. That especially matters for modern client-side JavaScript applications that require modern browser features.
- Using older browsers puts you and your organization at risk for security vulnerabilities.
That's why we've made the decision to remove explicit support for IE9 and IE10 in the mentioned subset of products and we strongly encourage you to do the same, if you have not already done so.
Browser Usage Share
According to the world-wide browser usage statistics the IE versions older that 11 share just about 0.1% of users.
Old Built-in Android Browsers
An excellent feature that we want to utilize for DevExtreme is CSS Flexbox Layout. Unfortunately, it is not supported in the old built-in Android browsers (up to Android 4.3.x). Therefore, will stop supporting old Android browsers in v18.1 as well. Be aware, this might affect those who are developing hybrid mobile apps for Android.
Feedback
I would love to hear your feedback on this decision.
Will this affect you?
Drop me a line below or email me.
Thanks!
Email: mharry@devexpress.com
Twitter: @mehulharry