Unified Browser Protocol - Let's show Microsoft that we want the ability to set default browsers!

[Bulow]

It seems to me that a lot of users have been requesting the ability to set a default browser other than IE for a long time.
I have come up with a (quite simple) way to do this, and I think that if we can get this noticed and implemented in as many apps as possible, we may have a chance to turn Microsoft's opinion on the matter.

I call it Unified Browser Protocol, or UBP for short (we can always come up with a cooler name if necessary). Basically it works by wrapping normal urls in a custom URI scheme, and it comes in two parts that are super simple to implement:

Normal apps will only need to add a reference to UnifiedBrowserProtocol.dll, and can then use the AnyBrowserTask in Microsoft.Phone.Tasks.​

Browsers will need to route launchUri's through a custom UriMapper (that supports using a secondary mapper for non-UBP Uri's), and can then use the url to navigate to a page.​

What is your opinion on doing something like this - would it work? Would you be willing to implement it in your apps, if we can get enough browsers on board?

Check it out here: https://github.com/Bulow/ubp
NuGet package: https://www.nuget.org/packages/UnifiedBrowserProtocol_WP/1.0.0
It should be pretty self explanatory, but just to be sure, I have marked all the changes browsers will have to make with a comment saying "[ubp]".

Disclaimer: I haven't been able to find anything about the subject, but it case this violates Microsoft's terms and conditions in any way, please do inform me, so I can take it down.

Edit: I should probably add that I'm the developer of Edge Browser, so obviously I'm already on board.

 

[DBDev]

This should be great! Hope you get it started :wink:

 

[despertador]

I've already suggested this to the UC Browser devs on the suggestions thread - it seems they'll consider it. As for the actual implementation: it's not hard to implement it at all in a WP app, it should really take 5-10 mins at max. Can you add the URI scheme to the original post? It'd make it much more convenient.

 

[despertador]

Edit to previous post (can't seem to edit on WP app): UC browser already has a URI scheme, but I believe it is specifically only for UC browser. It'd still be great to have a unified URI scheme.

 

[Bulow]

Did you suggest THIS, or did you suggest "something like this"? :wink:

The github link leads to a library that contains both a browser implementation and a "normal app" implementation. It also has samples, so implementing it in your own apps/browsers should be extremely easy. I'm guessing about 1-2 minutes for normal apps (you litterally only have to reference a dll and change 3 letters in your code).
For browsers it takes a little longer. I'd say it took me about 5 minutes with Edge Browser.