Mapbox-gl-js: Include Static API rendering in sdk-support properties

[lucaswoj]

_From @scothis on November 15, 2016 19:32_

In addition to our client side SDKs we also have a server side renderer with the Mapbox Static API. Unlike our SDKs, the static support is not versioned, the property/feature is either supported or not.

"sdk-support": {
  "basic functionality": {
    "js": "0.10.0",
    "ios": "2.0.0",
    "android": "2.0.1",
    "static": true
  }
}

_Copied from original issue: mapbox/mapbox-gl-style-spec#569_

[1ec5]

The Static API depends on node-mapbox-gl-native, which is versioned – we should include both in the compatibility tables.

[colleenmcginnis]

@chloekraw @riastrad is this something we want to do?

[riastrad]

@colleenmcginnis I’m torn because _technically_ our static api doesn’t have versions and we’re hopefully going to be doing a lot more work to make sure we’ve got a more frequent release cadence for node-gl-native. However, from a user perspective I can appreciate that it would be nice to have a true/false indication of whether or not api-gl supports something (in the event our release cadence doesn’t live up to our expectations).

@mapbox/api-gl does anyone have strong opinions on this subject?

[chloekraw]

@colleenmcginnis thanks for the tag! I maintain the opinion I expressed previously:

• For the Static Tiles API (api-gl), the supported/unsupported question is a "yes/no" question rather than a "which version" question. I think adding api-gl into the table for every property on the style spec docs would be overkill, and actually make the info that customers need harder to find. What customers need is a list of properties that are currently a "no."
• Instead, I think the ideal solution is a separate section on the Static API documentation page that lists the style-spec properties which are currently not supported. This hopefully short list will allow customers to efficiently identify properties that won't work, and to know that everything else does.
• If there's no good way to automate the ideal solution, then I think a note in the Static API documentation that says: "The Static Tiles API currently supports all properties listed in the Mapbox Style Specification documentation as available in version X.Y of the Maps SDK for Android. All properties added after this version are not yet supported in the API." would suffice to provide a guideline for customers when perusing the style-spec docs. The version number can be auto-updated with every mbgl upgrade.
  
  
  
  • Note: This workaround won't be 100% accurate as sometimes features are available in mbgl before they are in the Android SDK, but I think a) it's _good enough_ as a rule of thumb and b) false negative is better than a false positive for a customer.
  
  
• On a lesser note:
  
  
  
  • The Static Tiles API is not an SDK, so technically speaking, its inclusion would require renaming the "SDK Support" section to a broader name.
  
  
  • I think adding a 5th column to the sdk support section of the style-spec docs would lead to overcrowding on that table.
  
  

[riastrad]

@colleenmcginnis after some reflection and a good nights sleep, I’m inclined to agree with @chloekraw on several of the above points:

• tracking and keeping this information up to date would create too much maintenance overhead
• there isn’t an obvious way to automate this and reduce overhead

(@chloekraw I hope you don’t mind my paraphrasing your comments)

I think these two points outweigh other considerations. And I’m happy to close this issue out and discuss how to communicate style spec support over in the appropriate docs repo.

[colleenmcginnis]

Thanks @chloekraw and @riastrad! I'm going to close here, but we can reopen if anyone feels strongly that we should explore this further.