[🚀 Feature]: Default IE Options to use IE Mode in Edge

Feature and motivation

Microsoft is deprecating IE soon, and based on this post https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/web-platform/ie-to-microsoft-edge-redirection, any usage of IE will be launching Edge instead.

Should IE Options to have these options by default?

ieOptions.attachToEdgeChrome();
ieOptions.withEdgeExecutablePath("C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Microsoft\\Edge\\Application\\msedge.exe");

Usage example

Instead of

public class IEDriverSample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {        
        InternetExplorerOptions ieOptions = new InternetExplorerOptions();
        ieOptions.attachToEdgeChrome();
        ieOptions.withEdgeExecutablePath("C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Microsoft\\Edge\\Application\\msedge.exe");
        
        WebDriver driver = new InternetExplorerDriver(ieOptions);

        driver.get("http://www.bing.com");
        WebElement elem = driver.findElement(By.id("sb_form_q"));
        elem.sendKeys("WebDriver", Keys.RETURN);

        driver.close();
    }
}

Have this using IE Mode in Edge by default.

public class IEDriverSample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {        
        WebDriver driver = new InternetExplorerDriver(new InternetExplorerOptions());

        driver.get("http://www.bing.com");
        WebElement elem = driver.findElement(By.id("sb_form_q"));
        elem.sendKeys("WebDriver", Keys.RETURN);

        driver.close();
    }
}

[titusfortner]

This has been merged for next release of IE Driver

[titusfortner]

Ok, we decided that we should not change the bindings code if #10938 works as expected. If IEDriver automatically redirects to Edge on the Machine, then IE Driver will use Edge by default without the user needing to specify anything in capabilities.

If IEDriver and Edge are both installed, the current options will continue to work for the time being. At some point I think IEDriver will stop supporting standalone IE entirely.

I’ll keep this open in case the PR isn’t merged and we need another solution.