Acid3 and my head hurts

March 29th, 2008

Again, I congratulate the browser teams who have passed the Acid3 and have only one more thing to say:

Don't ever do that again.

I'm right in the middle of going through the proofs for Painting the Web, and I'm having to make proof modifications to code and writing because both Safari and Opera are feverishly changing their source in order to "meet" the Acid3 test. However, I don't know, for sure, if all the changes will end up in the next released version of the browsers, or if they'll be shunted off as a branch for inclusion in a later browser version after further refinement.

A better approach would be to list out all of the Acid3 tests and create a roadmap of planned implementation, ie the functionality in test 1 will be included in Opera 9.5, the functionality in test 2 in Safari 4.0, and so on. It may lack the glamour of displaying a passed test results, but it plays less havoc on those writing documentation, testers, book writers, and other people who have ended up being tossed about, like so much flotsam, by the Acid3 hurricane, and are now feeling particularly bruised and battered.

Please don't do an Acid4. I don't know if I can survive it.

Comments
1
Bud Gibson - 11:51 am March 29, 2008

Is this an opportunity for you to create Shelley's Painting the Web on Acid blog as a living companion site to your book?

2
Shelley - 7:08 pm March 29, 2008

The possibilities for web design would be endless for that site, wouldn't they be?

3
Anne van Kesteren - 11:12 am March 30, 2008

FWIW, everything Opera has fixed in order to pass Acid3 will make the first post-Kestrel release or the Kestrel release itself if we find some way to make it work. The latter is unlikely however as we are in stabilizing stage.

As for your book, I'd try not to predict the future in it. As long as you base it mostly on shipped software you will have no problems.

4
Shelley - 11:48 am March 30, 2008

Ah, you've never had a tech book out on the streets, Anne. I still have people sending me nasty emails because the RDF book I wrote years ago, doesn't mention some new piece of software just release last month.

We _have_ to try to cover the future, the present, and the past. The reader only understands _right now_.

Thanks for the note on what to expect. Will rgba be in Kestrel?

5
Anne van Kesteren - 12:37 am March 31, 2008

rgba is part of the Acid3 bugfix. I hope that says enough.

6
Dave - 4:53 am March 31, 2008

It's beginning to look more and more like the browser vendors are doing the whole "conform to Acid" thing for marketing reasons. Reminds me of motorcycle helmet standards in the EU - the actual tests aren't very stringent and aren't an amazing test of the helmet's protection because they only test a few points of impact, but the EU "seal of approval" thing means any helmet manufacturer wanting to sell their goods needs to get it for the public to buy them.

Thanks to all those who have contributed to the discussion. Comments are now closed, but you can contact the author of the post directly.

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