Selecting an Alternate axe-core Version

Select an axe-core version

• Users have the option to add a Custom Ruleset in the rules panel.
• Users must select any Custom Rulesets in the rules panel before initiating the axe Expert Extension Analysis. Once selected, the Custom Ruleset is considered activated.
• If a Custom Ruleset has an axeVersion property, or the deprecated ver property (as set by axe-devtools-standards), axe Expert Extension 4.0 automatically selects the appropriate axe-core version to run when users run analysis with the custom ruleset activated.

Custom rules and the ver property

• Custom Rulesets built with axe-devtools-standards in the past year contain a ver property value in the custom rule file.
• The ver property value sets the currently activated axe-core version at the time Custom Rules were designed and implemented.
• The ver property value triggers axe Expert Extension 4.0's new Compatibility Rules when users select Analyze in axe Expert Extension 4.0.

Prevent selecting an incompatible axe-core version

Users may still change the axe-core version used with a custom ruleset by selecting the preferred version from the Available Rulesets list - but only to compatible axe-core versions based on the axeVersion / ver property included in the custom ruleset.

Custom rules are compatible with all newer versions of axe-core, up to but not including the next major release; therefore:

• 2.5.1 is compatible with 2.5.2
• 2.5.1 is compatible with 2.6.1
• 2.5.1 is not compatible with 2.5.0
• 2.5.1 is not compatible with 2.4.3
• 2.5.1 is not compatible with 3.0.0
• 2.5.1 is not compatible with "latest" (3.3.2 currently)

Incompatible axe-core versions are greyed out and cannot be selected in the rules panel:

Persist the last selected axe-core version

A user's selected axe-core version for any one Custom Ruleset is persistent. The last used axe-core version selected, even if it's not the one listed in the axeVersion / ver property persists after closing and reopening the extension.

Prevent saving if no matching version is known

axe Expert Extension 4.0 displays an error when a selected axe-core version is incompatible with the axe Expert Extension. Saving is prevented if ver contains a value that doesn't exist in the extension (e.g., "ver": "1234.5.0").

Include a notice about version compatibility and Custom Rulesets

• A message displays: "This ruleset is compatible with axe-core version {{x.y.z}} and newer." above the Name for Custom Rules field upon selecting a Custom Ruleset.
• If the axe Expert Extension 4.0 includes newer axe-core versions considered incompatible with a custom ruleset, a message displays stating "This ruleset is compatible with axe-core version {{x.y.z}} up to {{x.y.z}}."

Include a notice about version mismatch

axe Expert Extension 4.0 displays a message when users attempt to select an incompatible axe-core version compared to the axe-core version in use when the Custom Ruleset was developed:

"This ruleset is designed for axe-core {{a.b.c}}, but is currently using {{x.y.z}}. This version may give different results. Axe-core version selection is persistent."

Note about "compatibility" vs "mismatch" of axe-core rulesets with custom rules

• Compatibility means that the axe-core version will not break a custom ruleset.
• Mismatch means that the axe-core version will not break the custom ruleset; however, generated results using the Custom Ruleset and the current selected axe-core version may vary from results generated with the axe-core version with which the custom rules were designed.