If no FiddlerScript in Everywhere, will you at least continue to support Fiddler Classic?

[Alex]

I am using Fiddler Classic strictly for its FiddlerScript capabilities, and I have just learned that the Progress team no longer have any plans to add this awesome functionality to Fiddler Everywhere. This is very sad news for me, as I feel that probably Fiddler's most appreciated feature is dropped all together. I have just installed the Everywhere version, checked out its Rules tab, but I am most positive that all those hard-coded rules will not even come close to the functionality and the simplicity provided by a scripting language. The Rules tab in Everywhere may be a more easier and intuitive option for most users, but this comes at the price of loosing the flexibility and the powerful tools that only a script can provide. The web is becoming more and more complex with each day, and in order for Fiddler to stay on top of it, I believe it should give its users access to the most powerful tools available. Employing scripting capabilities is certainly one of it, if not the best one! Why restrict that?!

I would like to take this opportunity to kindly ask the design team to re-evaluate this decision of dropping this future. It sets Fiddler apart from all the other software out there, and dropping it all together would be a major downgrade for Fiddler, in my opinion. Having a Rules tab for those in need of a quick set-up, and preserving the current scripting capabilities for those looking for powerful functionality seems like the best way to go for me. With these two foundations, I have no doubt Fiddler will continue to stay relevant and grow in the years ahead.

Anyhow, in case no re-evaluation will be made and approved, I would like to know if you have any plans of dropping support/updates for Fiddler Classic in the future. This would be a second blow to all the 10 year+ Fiddler users.

I hope both versions will be offered to us for many years to come, no matter how much the web will be changing. So, please confirm if we can at least rely on Fiddler Classic, as some believe it is only a matter of time until it will be deprecated (including me). For the time being, hopefully the plans to add support for HTTP/2 and TLS 1.3 will indeed materialize (for Fiddler Classic).

If others feel like me on this whole issue, please do comment. Thank you!

Alex

[Nick Iliev]

Hello Alex,

 

Let me start by thanking you for your feedback and for being a valued Fiddler customer!

The first thing I want to clarify is that the Fiddler team will continue to support Fiddler Classic, which is not about to change anywhere soon. The Fiddler Classic application will remain a free-to-use Windows version, and new releases fixing critical bugs or adding new features will appear. The product has been maintained for over a decade, and we are not planning to deprecate it.

The above said, the team is focused on actively developing the new modern version, which you know as Fiddler Everywhere. Features like HTTP/2 are already included in Fiddler Everywhere, and the support of TLS 1.3, GRPC, and other technologies is already in development and just around the corner. We are constantly extending the possibilities that Fiddler Everywhere provides, and the application frequently brings major new features and adds value after each release.  Monetization of the product is crucial so that the team can continue improving the applications (including Fiddler Classic, FiddlerCore, Fiddler Everywhere, etc.). At the same time, we can grow as a team, further improving all products.

A few words about why Fiddler Everywhere does not contain FIddlerScript as Fiddler Classic and why we are considering that an upgrade. While FiddlerScript is, without a doubt, a powerful tool, our research also showed that it is overcomplicated for most Fiddler Classic users. While it can be a perfect tool for some developers, many find it hard to use. It also requires programming knowledge which not all Fiddler users have. We aim to solve the complexity with FIddler Everywhere and the Rules tab while providing an easy-to-use and intuitive UI. With the Rules tab, there is hardly a learning curve - you can create, save and reuse a rule within a few seconds. The main goal of the Rules tab is to substitute the FiddlerScript scripting. 

That said, you should be able to pretty much do in the Rules tab most of the things that you can do with FiddlerScript. If you have specific scenarios you cannot recreate through the Rules tab, you can post them here or create a new feature request. The team is constantly looking into the user's feedback, so any ideas on how we can improve Fiddler Everywhere (including the Rules tab) are more than welcome!

 

 

Regards,
Nick Iliev
Progress Telerik

[Alex]

Thank you for your answer, Nick!

I am happy to hear you are committed to keeping Fiddler Classic active and updated. This is wonderful news!

> If you have specific scenarios you cannot recreate through the Rules tab, you can post them here

Generally speaking, I am sure I will miss the use of variables for every kind of data manipulation imaginable. I also use nested IF conditions, because website responses obviously vary, and these help me understand and process the data at a granular level.

Please do not entirely rule out the possiblity of having two different ways of setting up Fiddler Everywhere: 1) the Rules tab for those looking for an easy and intuitive setup, and 2) a script tab for those in need of a granular level setup. These two deliver both speed and functionality, and the user will choose whichever option is best suited for him.

Alex

[Nick Iliev]

Thank you for the feedback and the described scenarios! We will definitely keep those in mind while triaging the Rules and the FiddlerScript functionalities.