In this issue, we encounter Baseline (and many other announcements from Google I/O 2023). Netflify is launching the yearly issue of the Web Developer Survey. In Browser News, we have the releases of Safari 16.5 and Safari Technology Preview 170. On the Release Radar, we have Dart 3, jQuery 3.7.0, Next.js 13.4, Qwik v1.0, and more. Last but not least, we got a large collection of devtool utilities, a variable font, and other useful resources.
Introducing Baseline, the new unified view of stable web features
Baseline is one of the announcements of Google I/O 2023. This project follows the path opened by Interop 2022 and 2023 and continues the cooperation between the major browser vendors.
This initiative aims to provide an easy-to-use reference to whether any feature of the web platform is supported or not by current browsers. You no longer need to reference a list of browser versions to support, but instead, target a set of features that are included in the current iteration of the project.
- Introducing Baseline
- Smashing Podcast Episode 61 With Rachel Andrew: What Is Web Platform Baseline?
- Introducing Baseline: a unified view of stable web features
- Baseline features you can use today
Google I/O 2023 updates
The 2023 edition of Google I/O brought more than Baseline (the list of announcements has more than 100 items). The DevRel team highlighted 10 of these updates, including WebGPU, WebAssembly, Passkeys, the Privacy Sandbox, and more.
There is another list with 20 entries, regarding the updates to CSS and UI that have landed in Chrome over the last 12 months. This includes container and style queries, support for the :has() selector, CSS native nesting, Cascade Layers, and a lot more.
The 2023 Web Development Survey
Netlify invites developers everywhere to participate in the 2023 edition of their survey.
💻 Browser news
WebKit
Safari 16.5 is now available. Unlike the previous update, this one is focused on polishing the existing features and fixing many of the bugs existing on the platform.
It doesn't mean there are no new shiny things though. This version brings support to native CSS nesting and for the :user-valid and :user-invalid pseudo-classes.
On a related note, Safari Technology Preview 170 also brings lots of patches and fixes:
📡 The Release Radar
- Astro 2.5 - The all-in-one web framework designed for speed
- Babylon.js 6.0 - an open game and rendering engine packed into a friendly JavaScript framework.
- Dart 3 - a client-optimized language for fast apps on any platform
- Elementary v2.0.0 - a JavaScript/C++ library for building audio applications
- Ember.js v5.0.0 - A JavaScript framework for creating ambitious web applications
- Faast.js v8.0.0 - Serverless batch computing made simple
- Gatsby v5.10 - Build modern websites with React
- Glint 1.0 - TypeScript powered tooling for Glimmer templates
- Jasmine 5.0.0 - Simple JavaScript testing framework for browsers and node.js
- jQuery 3.7.0 - The Write Less, Do More, JavaScript Library
- Next.js 13.4 - The React Framework
- Node v20.2.0 (Current) - an asynchronous event-driven JavaScript runtime
- PrimeReact 9.4.0 - The Most Complete React UI Component Library
- Qwik v1.0 - Build instantly-interactive web apps without effort
- Redwood v5.0.0 - The App Framework for Startups
- Rome v12.1.0 - Unified developer tools for JavaScript, TypeScript, and the web
- Vue 3.3 - a JavaScript framework for building UI on the web
🛠️ Front End Resources
- DevTools Tips - Discover helpful cross-browser DevTools tips and tricks
- FancySymbol - Fancy Text & Cool Emojis
- Fixel - a variable typeface with a human touch
- The Contrast Triangle - A three-way color contrast checker for when you remove underlines from links
There's more where that came from. Explore the rest of the Front End Resource collection.
Wrapping things up
Ukraine is still suffering from the Russian invasion - if you are looking for ways to help, please check Smashing Magazine's article We All Are Ukraine 🇺🇦 or get in touch with your trusted charity.
If you enjoyed this newsletter, there are a couple of ways to support it:
- 📢 share the link to this issue on social media
- ❤️ follow this newsletter on Twitter
- ☕ buy me a coffee
Each of these helps me out, and I would appreciate your consideration.
That's all I have for this issue. Have a great and productive week, keep yourselves safe, spend as much time as possible with your loved ones, and I will see you again next time!