22nd
W3C Mobile Web Best Practices checker
The W3C Mobile Web Best Practices checker validates pages using tests defined in the W3C mobileOK Basic Tests. The tests produced results comparable to the .mobi tests, although they have no charts or other high-level visual indicators.
Of course, it’s best to take mobileOK results with a pinch of salt. The usefulness of some of the tests is debatable—mobileOK is still being fleshed out.
Their stance on scripting seems overly harsh, considering popular mobile browsers support javascript, and in Opera’s case they’re actively exploring more sophisticated javascript support (possibly inspiring mobile web 2.0 over the next few years—it already supports Ajax.) Their assertion that javascript will reduce battery life is also weak—where’s a reference with research into the reality of this?
While pointing out that sites shouldn’t rely on scripting is useful, promoting sensible use of scripting would also be beneficial.
Nothing beats real testing on phones, yet I expect many developers will try and get 100% passes for their sites through this tool and only test on one or two devices. Perhaps the validator should automatically flag a site as failed, and say, “now talk to your customers and see if your site actually works on their phones!”
Update: Sean from the BPWG pointed out this additional validator: http://validadores.tawdis.net/mobileok, and said the BPWG and .mobi will be collaborating on an open source validator.
