Problem statement

The WebDX group has stated that having true and null as a value in BCD is problematic for Baseline calculation. true values have also been a source of confusion for many developers, with many asking what “Yes” meant in the compatibility tables.

This project is the final chapter of the real values super-goal of BCD.

Proposed solutions

true

To reduce confusion right away, we should replace all true values with the most accurate data we are able to.

The easiest solution is to replace all of the true values with ranged values that match up the date of the browser releases with the date of the commit the feature was first tracked in BCD.

The harder solution is to track down exact version numbers for all of the features.

null

For null values, we must track down the version numbers.

Task list

• For each BCD feature that has a true value…
  • Try to find supporting documentation and data to determine when the feature was first implemented
  • If it is too challenging to track down right now, check the date of the commit that adds the feature to BCD, and add a ranged version that corresponds to the browser release that was current at the time of the commit

Note: the majority of true values are from web extensions, a part of BCD that is not typically maintained other than by the web extensions MDN team.

Priority assessment

• Effort: Flexible, Low to Medium
• Dependencies: BCD
• Community enablement: N/A
• Momentum: ???
• Enabling learners: Provides more accurate compatibility data and eliminates a primary confusion point in rendered BCD tables
• Enabling professionals: See above
• Underrepresented topics / Ethical web: N/A
• Operational necessities: ???
• Addressing needs of the web industry: See “Enabling learners”

More information

Open Web Docs (OWD) is a non-profit collective funded by corporate and individual donations.

In order for this project to happen, please consider donating to OWD at https://opencollective.com/open-web-docs.
For more information on sponsorship and membership tiers, see https://openwebdocs.org/membership/

More information is available at https://openwebdocs.org/.
For questions, please reach out to [email protected].