1128525 - Add environment to browser.name, browser.slug

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(developer.mozilla.org Graveyard :: BrowserCompat, enhancement)

Description

[John Whitlock [:jwhitlock]]

What problems would this solve?
===============================
The current designations for web clients ("Firefox", "Firefox Mobile") has at least two issues.  It emphasizes the history of the browser (the desktop version is simply "Firefox" rather than "Firefox for Desktop") rather than the current reality (the mobile browser will be the primary browser for an increasing number of users).  It does not correctly distinguish between clients that have different compatibility profiles (Firefox on the desktop vs Android devices vs iOS vs Firefox OS vs the Firefox OS browser vs ...)

Who would use this?
===================
Developers seeking compatibility information.  Browser developers publicizing the capabilities of their web client.  Developers displaying compatibility data on their own property.  Translators localizing web client names.

What would users see?
=====================
The API will provide an unambiguous name of a web client ("Firefox for Desktop", as well as a unique slug ("firefox-deskop").  The UI designer can either use the API-provided name, or use the slug as a mapping to their own naming scheme.

What would users do? What would happen as a result?
===================================================
Developers would be educated about the differences between similarly branded web clients, and adjust their development and testing strategy.  UI designers would mix and match compatibility data according to their user's needs.  Translators would translate the branding name and environment into their language ("Firefox pour PC de bureau"?)

Is there anything else we should know?
======================================
The discussion was started on Jan 27, 2015 on the mdn-drivers list [1], and the decision was made on Jan 30, 2015 [2].

[1] https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/mozilla.mdn.drivers/LgdKcDhfX_s
[2] https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/mozilla.mdn.drivers/vM8tI2z8QQ8

Comment 1

[John Whitlock [:jwhitlock]]

I've outlined some proposed changes on this spreadsheet:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1eyOtk0yp3kdpJyUGnvH2mh0dX1xPvEfH0sPDjxQ6mxI/edit?usp=sharing

I'm not sure of the "why" of this change. I believe it was requested by shobson.  Can you review the proposed name and slug changes and adjust them to what you were thinking?

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1eyOtk0yp3kdpJyUGnvH2mh0dX1xPvEfH0sPDjxQ6mxI/edit#gid=0

Comment 2

[Stephanie Hobson [:shobson]]

You covered the "why" pretty well in Comment 0. Spreadsheet updated.

Comment 3

[John Whitlock [:jwhitlock]]

The why is a little clearer with the new names.  Here's the ASCII version of the Google doc:

ID|   Current Name   |   Current Slug   |          New Name           |    New Slug   |
--+------------------+------------------+-----------------------------+---------------+
 1|Android           |android           |Android Browser              | (same)        |
 2|BlackBerry        |blackberry        |BlackBerry Browser           | (same)        |
 3|Chrome            |chrome            |Chrome for Desktop           |chrome_desktop |
 4|Chrome for Android|chrome_for_android| (same)                      | (same)        |
 6|Firefox           |firefox           |Firefox for Desktop          |firefox_desktop|
 7|Firefox Mobile    |firefox_mobile    |Firefox for Android          |firefox_android|
 8|Firefox OS        |firefox_os        | (same)                      | (same)        |
 9|IE Mobile         |ie_mobile         |Internet Explorer Mobile     |(same)         |
10|Internet Explorer |internet_explorer |Internet Explorer for Desktop|ie_desktop     |
11|Opera             |opera             |Opera for Desktop            |opera_desktop  |
12|Opera Mini        |opera_mini        | (same)                      | (same)        |
13|Opera Mobile      |opera_mobile      | (same)                      | (same)        |
14|Safari            |safari            |Safari for Desktop           |safari_desktop |
15|Safari Mobile     |safari_mobile     |Safari for iOS               |safari_ios     |
16|Android Webview   |android-webview   | (same)                      |android_webview|
17|Edge              |edge              | (same)                      | (same)        |

This will require data changes and importer changes.

Comment 4

[MDN Team (:mdn-dev)]

Commits pushed to master at https://github.com/mdn/browsercompat

https://github.com/mdn/browsercompat/commit/8747b27c285ac43e7883feb4bc7b45fca52c15e3
bug 1128525 - Move browser name fixes to data

This code is going to get more complicated. Move the ugliness to
mdn/data.py in preparation.

https://github.com/mdn/browsercompat/commit/ef77a1477fa7ae95d6026271adb546124531b6f5
bug 1128525 - Import new browser names and slugs

This code switches to the new browser names and slugs, but falls back to
the old behaviour if the name of Firefox is "Firefox" rather than
"Firefox for Desktop".  This will allow us to push code, then make the
data changes.

https://github.com/mdn/browsercompat/commit/2c2520bf6ec88d873d39f9a777ca4b75a22dbfb3
Merge pull request #64 from mdn/new_browser_idents_1128525

bug 1128525 - Adjust browser names and slugs

+r groovecoder

Comment 5

[John Whitlock [:jwhitlock]]

Slugs and names have been updated as above, importer still works:

https://browsercompat.herokuapp.com/browse/browsers

Comment 6

[MDN Team (:mdn-dev)]

Commits pushed to master at https://github.com/mdn/browsercompat

https://github.com/mdn/browsercompat/commit/44d75900edea1f477a9efc62629bfbce2de7bd4c
bug 1128525 - Update meta.compat_table.tabs

In the JSON returned from view_feature, update the
meta.compat_table.tabs section to use the new slugs.

Doc tests still use the old slugs, so many browsers have moved to the
uncategorized "Non-browser environments".

https://github.com/mdn/browsercompat/commit/5063ed5cf04cc2267cce3b51ae7bb199bd47c69e
bug 1128525 - Remove handlers for old slugs, names

Slugs and names have been updated in production, per bug 1128525.

https://github.com/mdn/browsercompat/commit/f121daf5d5ceb1b7468f89cc1a1f71c9c02e5a2e
bug 1128525 - Add doc test for browser list page 2

The doc tests create browsers in alphabetical order by slug, and when
they are updated to match production, the IDs will change.  Capturing
the second page (the rest of the browsers) will help make changes easier
to understand.

https://github.com/mdn/browsercompat/commit/96d6e39567b73aea29098364f41941cb02f24837
bug 1128525 - Update browser names in doc tests

Updating browser names is a content change, but doesn't change IDs.

https://github.com/mdn/browsercompat/commit/da4815ffcd152327436fab348d056ce2c3e95ae8
bug 1128525 - Arrange browsers in new slug order

When the slugs change, the IDs and browsers will be in this order.

https://github.com/mdn/browsercompat/commit/53f3bfa9a3547cfeabd104c02279ba50e677f153
bug 1128525 - Adjust some browser slugs

These do not change the ID order:

* opera -> opera_desktop
* safari -> safari_desktop
* safari_mobile -> safari_ios

https://github.com/mdn/browsercompat/commit/ee9c838a233787aa9623fe9e6e48e47504d289cf
bug 1128525 - Switch slug to ie_desktop

Changing internet_explorer -> ie_desktop changes the creation order of
IE Mobile and IE Desktop, which means related version creation order
changes, which means version ID references in supports change. Adjust
tests and resources for new IDs, regenerate outputs.

https://github.com/mdn/browsercompat/commit/31b1e8a3634a163fc0d1cd986be163ab34f17a8b
bug 1128525 - Change firefox slugs in doc tests

Changing these slugs:
* firefox -> firefox_desktop
* firefox_mobile -> firefox_android

This causes the creation order, and thus the IDs, to be swapped, as well
as effecting the creation order and IDs of the 8 related versions. Test
cases, resources, and responses are updated for the new slugs and IDs.

https://github.com/mdn/browsercompat/commit/9d98831483cad845d9b2e63f62f106128b3cd5ae
fix bug 1128525 - Update remaining doc slugs

Update the following slugs in the docs:
* chrome_mobile -> android_webview
* chrome -> chrome_desktop

Chrome Mobile was an invalid class of browser - Chrome for Android was
probably what was meant.  Android Webview is a current browser that can
fill the same slot in the documentation.

The new slugs cause 4 browsers to be created in a different order, and
the related versions in a different order.  The doc resources and
results are updated to reflect the new browser and version IDs.

The view_feature examples now categorize all the documentation example
browsers as either desktop or mobile.