The Web, as a platform, is not defined by the code of a single implementation but by standards. Gone are the days when we see notices in websites saying that you need a specific browser to view its contents fully and for its functionalities to work seamlessly. The Web is a shared platform.
In 2019, Mozilla, Google, Microsoft, Samsung, Bocoup, and the W3C started to work on understanding developer pain points that led to the formulation of the MDN (Mozilla Developer Network) Developer Needs Assessment surveys, which eventually paved the way to the publishing of the Browser Compatibility Report. These reports gave browser makers detailed and actionable information to address the top challenges for developers with the Web platform leading to the Compat 2021 effort.
The initial step to having an interoperable Web platform is to write high-quality standards while ensuring that browsers are consistent in their behavior. Different web browser makers need to ensure that they have a shared understanding of Web standards, and their implementation of the said standards matches that understanding.
Interop 2022
To find and address the most important interoperability developer pain points on the Web platform, Interop 2022 is launched as a cross-browser initiative having a public metric as an end result to assess progress toward fixing these issues.
For the very first time, all major browser makers and stakeholders have come together to solve top issues raised by web developers.
The primary source of data to identify the pain point areas are (1) Web developer feedback; and (2) end-user bug reports that could be traced back to implementation differences between browsers. The website webcompat.com is a place online where one can file such bugs.
There are ten (10) new focus areas for Interop 2022: Cascade Layers, Color Spaces and Functions, Containment, Dialog Element, Forms, Scrolling, Subgrid, Typography and Encodings, Viewport Units, and Web Compat. The Web Compat area does not represent any specific technology, but rather is a group of specific known problems with already shipped features where bugs and deviations from standards cause frequent site breakage for end users.
In addition, the following five (05) areas have been adopted based on Google’s and Microsoft’s “Compat 2021” effort: Aspect Ratio, Flexbox, Grid, Sticky Positioning, and Transforms.
All web browser makers agreed to focus on these fifteen (15) areas with all involved in the project committed to making the experience of web development measurably better.
Interop 2022 is a benchmark, agreed on by representatives of three major browser implementations, and developed through a process of public nomination and review with input from supporters Apple, Bocoup, Google, Igalia, Microsoft, and Mozilla.