Project proposal: separate pages for WebGL 1 and 2 rendering contexts

[queengooborg]

This proposal comes from https://github.com/mdn/browser-compat-data/pull/12103, which separates the WebGLRenderingContext and WebGL2RenderingContext in BCD. This separation will help with maintenance since the compatibility significantly differs between WebGL 1 and 2, but it may not be reasonable for the content side. I'd like to propose this as a project for OWD to tackle for the content side as well, as the signatures for WebGL 1 and 2 differ quite a lot, should we desire to go this route.

Note: this will require synchronization and discussion with MDN.

[queengooborg]

As promised in the MDN editorial meeting today, I looked into the story between WebGL 1 and 2. On the spec for WebGL 2, the following line is present:

This document should be read as an extension to the WebGL 1.0 specification. It will only describe the differences from 1.0.

This implies that WebGL 2 supersedes and WebGL 1, but it appears WebGL 1's spec is still getting updates.

[Rumyra]

So from how I understand it, WebGL 2 adds to WebGL 1, rather than it being a complete spec unto itself...

Looking at our current documentation this appears to be reflected, and I think it would be particularly difficult to pick it apart.

I have no direct answer here, because I understand the struggles with it being how it is in bcd - I would say I'm happy with the approach mdn has for documenting this though

[jpmedley]

I worked on the WebGL 2 pages way back in wiki days. I explored giving the two levels separate documentation. If I remember correctly I didn't because the overlap between functionality and API surface was broad enough that there would have been an enormous duplication of content.

[queengooborg]

Alright, since there's a lot of duplication that would occur, the MDN pages should be kept joined, right? In that case, we'll probably want to show two BCD tables on the pages. (BCD should definitely have two separate entries for easier maintenance and representation of support.)

[Rumyra]

Yes I think MDN pages should stayed joined - could we do another proof of concept to see how two bcd tables would work on these pages? Seems like a good solution :)

[jpmedley]

I agree. If I had wanted to do that back when, it was an f-ton of manual table editing. It was a massive time crunch just to make headway on the text.

[Elchi3]

I also worked on the WebGL docs and I agree to not split these pages. We could add redirects on MDN if there aren't any right now.