Microsoft today suggested that browser vendors should collaborate on a standardized JavaScript test to improve the interoperability of web browsers.

Don’t be confused. This Microsoft is the same Microsoft that, in the past, did not care very much about code and browser interoperability, but it seems that the company is now taking this topic much more seriously. The company proposed an official test suite for ECMAScript, the official name of JavaScript, sponsored by the standardization body ECMA.

At this time, JavaScript does not have a standardized test suite that is owned and sponsored by ECMA. The result are inconsistencies of JavaScript support in popular browsers and Microsoft claims that the different tests that are used by browser vendors today have a different coverage of standards, different test harnesses, and implementation issues.

The company suggests that a test suite for the recently finalized ECMAScript Fifth Edition (ES5) could be created. “We plan to help build this test suite, and contribute tests to it,” a blog post states. “We also welcome other browser vendors’ contributions to this effort.” Microsoft has already published an ES5 test suite, which can be downloaded here.

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