RE: ACTION-58 Look into issues surrounding the use of the 'any' type in the IDL

For me, and for the use cases we've considered, the context key is merely a value that can be used by a DDR instance to represent the context in which a Web interaction is taking place. I expect that the key will enable the DDR to correctly indicate values from the broader context, such as the physical characteristics of the screen. I do not demand that the key actually contain that information directly. In other words, while the key is machine-readable, it is not machine-comprehensible. There is no requirement that the key actually contain any specific information. It may merely indicate where or how such information may be obtained. I do not even demand that the key be of any particular type (integer, string, XML etc.) as I don't see any need to introduce such a constraint. However, if order for the implementers to correctly match the producer of a key with a consumer of the key it would make sense to give the unspecified key type a name. "ContextKeyType", for example. This will also help us (humans) to understand the API documentation. (It will also  probably help with developer IDEs, and with discovery/binding technologies.)

---Rotan.

-----Original Message-----
From: public-ddwg-request@w3.org [mailto:public-ddwg-request@w3.org] On Behalf Of Matt Womer
Sent: 27 August 2007 17:47
To: Rhys Lewis
Cc: 'José Manuel Cantera Fonseca'; public-ddwg@w3.org
Subject: Re: ACTION-58 Look into issues surrounding the use of the 'any' type in the IDL


Hi Rhys, José, DDers,

On Aug 1, 2007, at 3:32 AM, Rhys Lewis wrote:
> If all that sounds correct, then the 'handle' for the context key  
> merely
> has to identify it within a session that a caller has with the DDR.  
> So,
> can't it just be an integer?

Thanks for writing this up, it helped me understand where the  
confusion is coming from.

I think of the Context Key IS the opaque handle itself.  It is a  
handle to the "Context", which is an implementation specific  
structure in and of itself.

I assumed that from the name that it was a 'key' in a list/hash/map  
of contexts, and I think from your email that this isn't what you're  
thinking.  RIght?

What do other folks think?

-Matt Womer

mdw@w3.org
W3C Team -- http://www.w3.org/
Mobile Web Initiative Lead Americas
Team Contact: MWI DDWG, POWDER, Voice Browser