Assumed Support vs Feature Detection

Developers should learn and use Assumed Support when building applications that rely heavily on external services, such as microservices architectures, cloud-based integrations, or APIs from vendors, to ensure high availability and user experience meets developers should use feature detection to build cross-browser compatible web applications, especially when implementing modern web standards or experimental features that may not be universally supported. Here's our take.

Assumed Support

Nice Pick

Developers should learn and use Assumed Support when building applications that rely heavily on external services, such as microservices architectures, cloud-based integrations, or APIs from vendors, to ensure high availability and user experience

Pros

• It is particularly valuable in distributed systems where network issues or service downtime can cascade, as it encourages robust error handling and contingency plans
• Related to: fault-tolerance, microservices-architecture

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

Feature Detection

Developers should use feature detection to build cross-browser compatible web applications, especially when implementing modern web standards or experimental features that may not be universally supported

Pros

• It is crucial for progressive enhancement, where basic functionality works across all browsers, and advanced features are added for those that support them, improving user experience without breaking the site
• Related to: progressive-enhancement, graceful-degradation

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. Assumed Support is a methodology while Feature Detection is a concept. We picked Assumed Support based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

Assumed Support wins

Based on overall popularity. Assumed Support is more widely used, but Feature Detection excels in its own space.