Latest two versions of Safari should be fully supported in legacy plugin

[nickmccurdy]

Describe the bug

I noticed the legacy plugin uses this Browserslist query: last 2 versions and not dead, > 0.3%, Firefox ESR

Unfortunately, because of how Browserslist works, this only includes some of the last 2 major versions of Safari, since last 2 versions only includes the last 2 minor versions, and > 0.3% excludes some minor versions due to low usage.

I suggest using last 2 major versions and not dead, > 0.3%, Firefox ESR instead. This could potentially expand supported browser usage by 2.7% in the US. If you'd like I can send a PR.

Reproduction

https://browsersl.ist/#q=last+2+versions+and+not+dead%2C+%3E+0.3%25%2C+Firefox+ESR

Steps to reproduce

1. Run Browserslist query
2. Note that Safari versions >= 15 and < 16.5 are missing

Suggested labels

• bug
• plugin: legacy

Validations

• Follow our Code of Conduct
• Read the Contributing Guidelines.
• Read the docs.
• Check that there isn't already an issue that reports the same bug to avoid creating a duplicate.
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• The provided reproduction is a minimal reproducible example of the bug.

[romainmenke]

Please don't make this change.
It is incorrect.

Safari majors are just marketing versions.

Safari minors contain web engine features and have multiple releases a year, just like Chrome major versions.

[nickmccurdy]

It is incorrect.

No, I've proven statistically that Safari majors are more similar to majors in other browsers: https://github.com/orgs/browserslist/discussions/781#discussioncomment-6516951

Safari majors are just marketing versions.

All browser versions are marketing versions! The resulting browser compatibility is more important.

Safari minors contain web engine features and have multiple releases a year, just like Chrome major versions.

This only helps for comparing updates at a basic level, but isn't practical in this case. If this argument were valid, fixing it wouldn't increase the market share of supported Safari versions!

[romainmenke]

If the intention is to cover a percentage of users you should change the browserslist query to a >n% query.

These are two different kinds of queries and both have a specific purpose.

Changing it to an >n% query is a valid request.

But please don't change it to major safari as a flawed proxy for a wider user base.

---

No, I've proven statistically that Safari majors are more similar to majors in other browsers: https://github.com/orgs/browserslist/discussions/781#discussioncomment-6516951

With all due respect, this is untrue.

This is from an actual WebKit engineer working at Apple : web-platform-dx/web-features#173 (comment)

[nickmccurdy]

This discussion is already continuing elsewhere in web-platform-dx/web-features#264 and facebook/docusaurus#9173. I'll skip copying replies to here for now to reduce notifications, until a maintainer or other contributor wants to reply.

[sapphi-red]

The last 2 versions part is to give less used browsers a fair chance to increase their usage (https://github.com/browserslist/browserslist#:~:text=If%20you%20want,setting%20with%20caution). Given that the Safari minor releases are shiped at similar intervals as Chrome, I think the last 2 versions is fine.

This could potentially expand supported browser usage

This is not relevant as the intent of the last 2 versions part isn't to expand the supported browser usage. Moreover, last 2 versions and not dead, > 0.3%, Firefox ESR includes more lower Safari version (14.1, iOS 12.2, ...) than the second-to-last major version (15.0), so the second-to-last major version will be supported indirectly.

Also this is just a default and users can expand the range if they want to.

[sapphi-red]

Closing as I think the current default is fine.