Leaving slide mode.
CG specification redesign and more program updates
Ian Jacobs
Denis Ah-Kang
Overview
- Background
- Updated designs
- Integration into authoring tools
- Metadata for in-spec updates
- Planned publishing improvements
- How to help
Goals of CG revamp project
- Clearly communicate about the CG program and specification status
- Lower barriers for the transition from incubation to standardization
- Improve support for chairs and groups during full lifecycle
Design updates since TPAC 2025
- Nov 2025 - Q1 2026: Socialized early designs at TPAC and in CG Program meetings
- Q1-Q2 2026: Conducted focused beta interviews
- Q2 2026: Shared updates at AC Meeting
- Since then: continued to iterate on designs
Key layout changes
- New at the top: progress bar and some implementation info
- Moved from the top: get involved, join
- Moved to the top from status section: key status boilerplate
- New at the bottom: usage guidance (linked from top)
- New in TOC: Links to get involved and usage guidance
Integration into authoring tools
- Working with respec and bikeshed maintainers on new profiles:
- JavaScript will enable live in-spec updates
- Status of integration into respec and bikeshed:
- Core work done; boilerplate remains to be done.
- We will provide documentation (#10) on how to migrate, but should be lightweight (switch profile, add a few config options)
Metadata for in-spec updates
- Lifecycle status (for living specifications)
- Progress bar and usage guidance (for living specifications)
- Latest version last modified date (for snapshots)
Planned publishing improvements
- Groups will get W3C URLs for living specifications
- Form for shortname registration
- Proxy table will have link to editor's draft
- For snapshots
- Form to associate with a living specification
- If passes validation, mirrored to w3.org
Planned publishing improvements (continued)
- We will have a pubrules for CG specs for validation and periodically check registered living specs
- Tools will handle other publishing use cases (e.g., title change, mark as transferred, etc.)
- Group pages will have spec listings
incubation.w3.org
- One CG home instead of two (as we have today)
- Move all CG content here (from w3.org/community)
- For discussion: Provide an alternative to WordPress
How to help
- As a spec editor, experiment with profiles and metadata system
- Add your spec metadata to specs.json via a pull request
- Collector tools will update (weekly) a new json file in the specs folder
- Propose new sources of data or develop collectors for specs that are not browser APIs
- Test new designs on different platforms
- Raise issues in w3c/cg-program
Timeline
- Complete respect and bikeshed integrations before end of year
- Encourage additional beta testing to refine styles, ensure assets are robust, and that metadata system works and does not create undue burden
- Migrate CG pages to incubation.w3.org in Q1 2027
- Test publication tooling in Q1/Q2 2027
- Deploy new styles and tooling in Q2 2027