Slashdot Mirror
Clashing Scores In the HTML5 Compatibility Test Wars
Andreas(R) writes "Microsoft has published a set of HTML5 tests comparing Internet Explorer 9 to other web browsers. In Microsoft's own tests, IE9 performs 100% on all tests. However, the Internet Explorer 9 HTML5 Canvas Campaign has published results that show that Internet Explorer gets 0% on all their tests." The results reported here are selected with tongue in cheek: "Therefore, we'll also present shameless results from tests which have been carefully selected to give the results that the PR department has demanded."
Well, let knowledgeable slashdotters point us novices to a set of a "standard" HTML5 test site to which we can run and establish the fact.
Ohh wait, I forgot that there is yet to be any agreement on the HTML5 standard itself! This is why I think Apple is just bluffing with their campaign against Flash. It also demonstrates the weaknesses we all have to work around.
Indeed. However, Microsoft has a poor record of interoperability which only improved recently. So it needs to regain trust. The way to regain trust is to actually improve interoperability and standard conformance, no mere marketing and public affairs campaign. Real credibility stems from real achievements. I am sure Microsoft is able to become an interoperability leader.
No, at least not before we have a real HTML5 spec.
Here's a difference that everyone should note. When the later Acid tests were formulated they were written by Webkit and Gecko developers and were specifically biased against those engines. If one of the two did not fail, it didn't go in. That way it motivates them to improve. When MS writes a test suite it's biased in favor of their engine, so they can claim to be "ahead" and have no motivation to improve. It's an excellent example of who values technical excellence and who values marketing.
While you are sitting back and waiting for someone else to write these comprehensive test suites the only entity really taking the W3C Test Suite projects seriously at all is Microsoft. They've submitted thousands of test cases for CSS2.1 and have been working to submit hundreds of tests for CSS3.0 and HTML5. These are the very tests that are being disparaged here. It can be claimed that Microsoft is stacking these tests intentionally, except that these tests are publically available for comment and scrutiny. The Test Suite projects are open for submissions by others as well so Google and Mozilla and anyone else is free to submit tests of behaviors that IE9 fails and that their browser passes. The more comprehensive these test case projects are the more everyone benefits by having a real target to implement.
ACID is not an authority. They cherry pick a relative handful of problematic yet pointless tests and construct something cute. ACID3 tests about a hundred different things from a mix of technologies. The W3C Test Suite for CSS2.1 currently has nearly 8,000 tests. Which do you think is more comprehensive?