Browsers Situationship: When Browsers Agree but the Spec Doesn't
2 days ago
- Browsers and specifications evolved together, not one before the other.
- Specifications ensure interoperability but can contain mistakes or ambiguity.
- When browsers agree on behavior that differs from the spec, the spec may be updated instead of changing browsers.
- The goal is convergence: well-defined, compatible behavior across implementations.
- Existing websites and their dependence on certain behaviors constrain changes; even browser bugs can become de facto standards.
- The process is a feedback loop involving implementations, specs, tests, and websites, with the commitment to an interoperable web.