Standards processing

I���ve been like a dog with a bone the way I���ve been pushing for a declarative option for the Web Share API in the shape of button type=���share���. It���s been an interesting window into the world of web standards.

The story so far…

I blogged some half-formed thoughts.
Then I opened an issue on the spec for the Web Share API.
Meanwhile I wrote a polyfill, releasing the code and a test.
I responded to pushback I was getting on the issue I filed.
I also wrote up an explainer document so everything is gathered in one place.
Finally I started soliciting feedback from people using the Web Share API in order to gather data.

That���s the situation currently. The general consensus seems to be that it���s probably too soon to be talking about implementation at this stage���the Web Share API itself is still pretty new���but gathering data to inform future work is good.

In planning for the next TPAC meeting (the big web standards gathering), Marcos summarised the situation like this:

Not blocking: but a proposal was made by @adactio to come up with a declarative solution, but at least two implementers have said that now is not the appropriate time to add such a thing to the spec (we need more implementation experience + and also to see how devs use the API) - but it would be great to see a proposal incubated at the WICG.

Now this where things can get a little confusing because it used to be that if you wanted to incubate a proposal, you���d have to do on Discourse, which is a steaming pile of crap that requires JavaScript in order to put text on a screen. But ��ime pointed out that proposals can now be submitted on Github.

So that���s where I���ve submitted my proposal, linking through to the explainer document.

Like I said, I���m not expecting anything to happen anytime soon, but it would be really good to gather as much data as possible around existing usage of the Web Share API. If you���re using it, or you know anyone who���s using it, please, please, please take a moment to provide a quick description. And if you could help spread the word to get that issue in front of as many devs as possible, I���d be very grateful.

(Many thanks to everyone who���s already contributed to that issue���much appreciated!)