Re: Why splitting HTML5 into several specs has failed to work

Ian Hickson wrote:
> On Sun, 9 Dec 2007, Marghanita da Cruz wrote:
>> Is there another way of drafting the Spec using tools such as a Wiki?
> 
> I'm not sure that would really help.
> 
> 
>> It would be nice if mailing list discussion, history, comments, 
>> differences from 4.01, interdependencies, test suites etc could be more 
>> effectively integrated.
> 
> Could you elaborate on what kind of integration you would like to see? 
> Maybe we can work on this.

As a relative new comer to the Spec, I found it difficult to find how it had
been arrived at or even what the proposed specification was trying to achieve.

To avoid, going round in circles, it would be useful if histories of how
something was arrived at would help.

a link to <application/Context/Background/History/Assumptions> to each change
would be useful.

For example,

 From my perspective, menuing is a signficant shortcoming in HTML4. The issue is
that menus are central to navigating between wepages, within a site, the
proposed Menu function in HTML is important. The requirements identified
are...so, in response the following is proposed. These are the test cases, samples.

With regard to Video and Audio - background - video an audio is commonly used on
the World Wide Web and incorporated into webpages. The HTML specification
enables the incorporation of video and audio into a webpage.

HTML specifies where the video/audio appears and how it is controlled. In the
case of video it enables the specification of a "first frame", start/stop
streaming video/audio or download of video clip.

then something along the lines of HTML permits the integration of third party
Codecs through "Plugins"

So, I guess what I would like to see is something along the lines of:

<Link to History/Background, survey results, design principles>
Text of Standard
<link to revision1>
<link to revision2>
<Link Test Plans>
<link to examples for authors - test cases for browser developers and people
trying to select a compliant browser or even implement a feature>

Marghanita

> 
> 
>> Separate pages that can be read more easily online would also help.
> 
> http://www.whatwg.org/specs/web-apps/current-work/multipage/
> 
> There are also PDF versions if that helps; see the top of the spec for 
> links to the various relevant pages.
> 

Yes this looks useful....

Though hourly changes may be difficult to monitor, absorb and comment on.

Marghanita
-- 
Marghanita da Cruz
http://www.ramin.com.au
Phone: (+61)0414 869202

Received on Thursday, 13 December 2007 09:25:32 UTC