Re: Selectors API updates

+1.

The world seems to have survived with long names like getElementById() and
getElementByTagname(). Dave's two reasons below are more important than
brevity. Also, it is important to bear in mind that not all uses of the DOM
are in the context of browsers (and CSS), so I think it is important that
the method name somehow include the letters "Selector" or "CSS".

Jon Ferraiolo <jferrai@us.ibm.com>
Web Architect, Emerging Technologies
IBM, Menlo Park, CA
Mobile: +1-650-926-5865



                                                                           
             Dave Massy                                                    
             <Dave.Massy@micro                                             
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             Sent by:                  <public-webapi@w3.org>,             
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             01/10/2007 10:14                                      Subject 
             AM                        Re: Selectors API updates           
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           





I have to agree with Robin here. The new names suggested do not address
the concerns raised around the original naming in the specification.
Naming should be:
 a) descriptive of the functionality
 b) in line with conventions for existing DOM APIs such as
getElementbyID

Looking at the feedback on
http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-webapi/ and Anne's blog entry
at http://annevankesteren.nl/2006/12/selectors-api-naming it seems that
the majority of people would agree with these principles and the
suggested names based on getElementBySelector. I know not everyone is in
agreement and some people wish to save keypresses but I really think we
should be taking note of feedback from the majority and follow the above
principles.

Thanks
-Dave




From: Robin Berjon <robin@berjon.com>
Date: Wed, 10 Jan 2007 11:06:20 +0100
Message-Id: <A204A009-EE2B-49F8-9F34-669995057FC5@berjon.com>
Cc: "Web API WG (public)" <public-webapi@w3.org>
To: Anne van Kesteren <annevk@opera.com>

On Jan 09, 2007, at 23:08, Anne van Kesteren wrote:
> I updated the Selectors API specification today and added
> equivalent methods for element nodes. It didn't make much sense to
> me to postpone this.
>
> I resolved the naming debate by going for:
>
> * Document.get()
> * Document.getAll()
> * Element.get()
> * Element.getAll()
>
> These names are short, don't clash with autocomplete and provide a
> superset of the functionality given by the other get* methods.

Sorry, I don't wish to reopen the naming debate, but these really
don't strike me as the ones closest to consensus (aside from being
dreadful picks). I think there are a bunch of names that people don't
like but can live with, these are just pure nonsense. I certainly
know that while I would have dropped the ball on any number of bad
options, if these stay in the draft I will request formal objection
from my AC Rep.

--
Robin Berjon - http://berjon.com/