Version history

Documented releases of this site. Content can evolve between version bumps; cite specific guide URLs when you need a stable reference.

Overview

Current version and semver

Site version 1.1.3 · last updated 22 July 2026.

Version numbers follow semantic versioning for the site as a whole, not individual guides. A patch bump may fix typos or add pages; a minor bump adds sections or notable content; a major bump signals breaking changes to URLs, structure, or policy.

Releases below are newest first. Each section documents what shipped in that version — for machine-readable discovery, see llms.txt and the AI statement.

v1.1.3 · 22 July 2026

CSS important exception guidance

Small content update clarifying when !important is acceptable in CSS standards and review guidance.

  • CSS standard now treats !important as an exception marker, not a normal override pattern
  • CSS review checklist now allows only narrow, documented !important exceptions such as reduced-motion safety rules or unavoidable vendor overrides

v1.1.2 · 1 July 2026

LSCSS platform interaction guidance

Small content update naming platform-forced CSS ordering and linking Frontend Foundations guidance to the relevant LSCSS browser support and audit pages.

  • Browser capability and browser support guidance now call out fallback-first CSS, support gates, and documented rule order for platform-forced cases
  • CSS review checklist now treats platform-forced ordering as a documented component-layer exception, not a hidden hack
  • Popover, accordion, and accessible form patterns link to LSCSS guidance for @starting-style, transition-behavior, ::details-content, and customisable select styling

v1.1.1 · 5 June 2026

Lead copy contrast

Brighter lead text on dark backgrounds for improved readability and WCAG AAA contrast on surface colours.

  • New --color-text-lead token (#b0b6c8) for chapter, page header, section, and CTA band leads
  • Hero lead opacity increased from 85% to 92% white on the gradient

v1.1.0 · 3 June 2026

Performance planning guides

Three new performance topic guides on planning, roadmaps, and legacy improvement — with cross-links from budgets, standards, and related architecture content.

  • Performance: performance planning, performance roadmaps, and legacy website performance strategy (149 published URLs)
  • Cross-links from performance budgets, Core Web Vitals, observability, standard, checklist, and legacy refactoring guides
  • Prose table styles for planning example metrics

v1.0.0 · 3 June 2026

First stable reference release

Content-complete milestone: every section reviewed, pattern library in place, and the site ready to use as a practical frontend reference — not a work-in-progress draft.

  • Baseline reference release — standards, principles, architecture, accessibility, performance, checklists, and patterns reviewed end to end (146 published URLs)
  • Pattern library complete across categories; final pass on forms, tables, search, loading states, navigation, uploads, and auth-related UI patterns
  • Site conventions stable: LSCSS layers, two-word components, global-first responsive CSS, and documented version history from 0.0.1 onward

v0.0.8 · 2 June 2026

Guides consolidation and layout polish

Merged observability guides, clarified Core Web Vitals field data, fixed container-query and responsive examples, and improved index and FAQ spacing.

  • Performance: merged frontend observability and workflows into one guide (146 URLs in sitemap)
  • Core Web Vitals: CrUX is Chrome opt-in only — own RUM for full browser coverage
  • Architecture: container query examples for grid-level and per-card containers; renamed .content-card-grid to .card-grid
  • Responsive strategy: global-first media example with shallow selectors; Prism on responsive-strategy and js-module-architecture
  • Grouped index pages: spacing between jump nav, summary, and categories; FAQ band distinct from final chapter

v0.0.7 · 2 June 2026

Standards content and site polish

Expanded JavaScript, code formatting, accessibility, and performance standards; aligned live header behaviour and syntax highlighting; fixed extra vertical spacing from prose and list margins.

  • JavaScript standard: early return and guarded init; dependency discipline; getElementById and blank-line conventions in examples; aligned JS review checklist and module architecture notes
  • Code formatting standard: one selector per line, shallow nesting, plain-English responsive overrides; general guidance without repo-specific tooling callouts
  • Accessibility standard: placeholders as examples, not labels — purpose, contrast, and HTML pattern with label and hint
  • Performance standard: HTML delivery preference (SSG → SSR → CSR); variable fonts with static vs variable @font-face examples and woff2 format note
  • Prism: TypeScript highlighting on code samples; site header uses id="nav-menu-button" with getElementById in site-header.ts
  • Layout: reduced stray bottom margins on .inner from prose, tick lists, FAQ, and content index

v0.0.6 · 2 June 2026

CSS standard and design tokens

Expanded CSS standards guidance (cascade layers, token naming, logical properties, typography) and aligned site styles with abbreviated token names and consistent scale suffixes.

  • CSS standard: avoid unlayered CSS; token abbreviations (fw, fs, ff, lh, br) and xs–2xl scale steps; logical properties; line length with ch; text-wrap balance and pretty with cascade fallback
  • Site tokens migrated to --fw-*, --fs-*, --ff-*, --br-*, --lh-*; radius scale uses -s/-m (not sm/md); DESIGN.md updated
  • Cascade layers, design tokens, typography systems, and CSS review checklist aligned with the standard

v0.0.5 · 21 May 2026

Guide consolidation

Merged overlapping architecture, accessibility, and performance guides so each topic earns its URL — fewer duplicate essays, clearer indexes, and updated cross-links across the site.

  • Architecture: platform-first content unified under progressive enhancement strategy; CSS naming and documentation folded into css-architecture and frontend-governance; component ownership into design-system-governance; CSS performance under css-performance-architecture
  • Accessibility: dynamic announcements and live regions merged; testing guides unified as accessibility testing strategy; landmarks in semantic HTML; focus traps in focus management; accessibility-is-product-quality lives on principles only
  • Performance: rendering strategy on static vs SSR vs CSR; lazy loading images in lazy loading strategy; third-party governance in third-party scripts; monitoring in frontend observability; hydration, islands, and progressive hydration in hydration and client interactivity; weight essay folded into JavaScript cost
  • Removed legacy redirect stubs — merged slugs no longer published (147 URLs in sitemap)
  • Updated standards link lists, llms.txt flagship guides, and guide FAQs for consolidated slugs

v0.0.4 · 20 May 2026

AI statement

Transparency page on how the site was built with AI assistance under human direction, including DESIGN.md and human verification of all reference content.

  • AI statement at /ai-statement/ — human direction, AI scaffolding, and what was verified
  • Linked from footer legal navigation alongside privacy, terms, and accessibility statement
  • Documented in llms.txt under Legal and policies

v0.0.3 · 19 May 2026

AEO and structured data

Generative-engine optimisation: TechArticle schema, publisher metadata, guide FAQs, expanded llms.txt, and machine-discovery links for AI crawlers.

  • TechArticle JSON-LD on guides with dateModified and publisher (Organization logo and sameAs)
  • Visible “Last updated” on guide pages tied to the current site release date
  • FAQ sections and FAQPage schema on eight cornerstone guides (HTML, forms, modals, toasts, hydration, automated testing limits, state management)
  • Expanded llms.txt with flagship URLs and cite guidance for AI systems
  • link rel="alternate" for /llms.txt in the document head
  • robots.txt notes for common AI crawlers (GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot, etc.)

v0.0.2 · 18 May 2026

SEO improvements and version history

Search and social metadata across the site, article Open Graph on guides, and a documented version history page in the footer.

  • Meta descriptions built to 120–160 characters on guides, index hubs, legal pages, and the homepage
  • Homepage title and H1 aligned around “practical frontend standards”
  • og:type article on standards, patterns, architecture, accessibility, performance, checklists, and principles
  • Version history page at /versions/ linked from the footer
  • Additional architecture guides: state management, design system governance, frontend governance, folder structure, CSS scope strategy

v0.0.1 · 17 May 2026

Public reference launch

Initial published release of Frontend Foundations — standards, patterns, topic guides, checklists, and discovery files for teams and crawlers.

  • Principles, standards (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, accessibility, performance, code formatting), patterns, architecture, accessibility, and performance guides
  • Review checklists including SEO and metadata, release readiness, and technical debt
  • Categorised index pages for architecture, accessibility, and performance
  • Machine-readable discovery: sitemap, urllist.txt, llms.txt, and robots.txt
  • Structured data on the homepage (Organization, WebSite, FAQPage) and WebPage schema on inner pages
  • Privacy, terms, cookies, and accessibility statement pages