VANCOUVER, British Columbia – May 24, 2000 – ActiveState, a leading provider of Internet programming software, and Netscape Communications, a subsidiary of America Online, announced today an agreement to collaborate on the Mozilla project, the open-source initiative founded by Netscape. JavaScript will join Perl and Python as supported languages in ActiveState's powerful Komodo integrated development environment. This will allow Web developers to edit, run and debug their JavaScript programs in a professional-class development tool fully oriented to the Web, while maintaining a close integration with the browser. In turn, Perl and Python will join JavaScript as programming languages in Mozilla, thereby making it easier for Open Source programmers to use the Mozilla framework, and giving Mozilla developers access to additional scripting technologies.

"We are thrilled to be working with Netscape on this project", stated Dick Hardt, ActiveState, CEO. "By coordinating our development efforts, both firms will have access to richer technology sooner than if we worked independently, and the Mozilla project and its users will be the real winners."

New JavaScript IDE Features:  

  • Full-featured code editor
  • Full support for JavaScript debugging
  • JavaScript embedded in HTML, XML and XUL files
  • Interactive JavaScript shell and object browser
  • Sophisticated help and documentation systems
  • Customizable and extensible

"Netscape is excited about the benefits our partnership with ActiveState will bring to developers everywhere," said Clayton Lewis, Technical Director of Components and Tools at Netscape Communications. "Komodo will provide JavaScript developers with a robust, fully-featured development environment, and adding Perl and Python support to Mozilla will add new power to the Mozilla development platform."

"As part of this process we expect to make several contributions to the Mozilla code base, especially in the area of cross-language communication and extending the XPCOM component model," said Dr. David Ascher, Senior Developer and Project Lead, ActiveState. By providing bridges between Perl and Python and the Mozilla framework, we are giving the Perl and Python Open Source projects deep access to the power of Mozilla.”