Microsoft has launched the open beta of Fluid Framework 2.0, paving the way for developers to craft sophisticated collaborative applications. The new release comes packed with substantial upgrades aimed at enhancing the developer experience and integrating more deeply with Microsoft's suite of productivity tools.
At Build 2019, Microsoft announced Fluid Framework, a developer tool to allow dev's to integrate sharing tools into their apps. In January 2020, the service received a public preview for all Office 365 users. At Build 2020, Microsoft confirmed Fluid Framework w0uld soon be available for end users.
Enhancements and Features
A significant addition is the SharedTree Distributed Data Structure (DDS), designed to offer an intuitive interface for developers. The flexibility of SharedTree DDS stands out, supporting a wide array of data types, namely objects, arrays, and maps. This advancement is expected to streamline the development process, granting developers the ability to handle complex data structures more efficiently.
Further to enhance developer capabilities, Fluid Framework 2.0 incorporates support for SharePoint Embedded. Such support introduces a seamless connection to Microsoft 365 tenants, enabling developers to leverage the comprehensive storage and security solutions Microsoft 365 has to offer. This integration represents a meaningful step in simplifying workflows and ensuring compliance with Microsoft's established infrastructure.
Collaboration in Practice
Microsoft's continued investment in Fluid Framework is reflected in its broad adoption across various collaboration apps and services. The most notable of these is Microsoft Loop, a workspace solution that reached general availability in November 2023. Through Microsoft Loop, both business and education customers under the Microsoft 365 banner can effortlessly create, manage, and populate workspace projects with relevant content.
Developers eager to explore the new features of Fluid Framework 2.0 can visit the official site, where they have access to code samples and documentation for both SharedTree and SharePoint Embedded. The open beta also welcomes feedback from participants through a dedicated channel on GitHub, a collaborative gesture that underlines Microsoft's commitment to community-driven development.
As the beta progresses, expectations are high for the final version of Fluid Framework 2.0 to launch in the summer of 2024. With this upgrade, Microsoft aims to further cement its position as an essential resource for developers looking to build or enhance collaborative applications within the Microsoft ecosystem.
