Re: Let's turn WebDatabase into a WG Note

On Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:13:20 +0100, Maciej Stachowiak <mjs@apple.com>  
wrote:

>
> On Nov 18, 2009, at 2:03 PM, Robert O'Callahan wrote:
>
>> On Wed, Nov 18, 2009 at 9:35 PM, Maciej Stachowiak <mjs@apple.com>
>> wrote:
>> Further: if the other vendors planning to ship Web Database
>> implementations (Google, Opera
>>
>> What they are going to ship is mostly the same implementation as
>> yours.
>
> It sounds like Opera intends to use the same database engine, but I
> would be very surprised if they used any of our code that implements
> the API, threading, query management, etc. As I've mentioned before,
> that is a substantial amount of code, and is the part that implements
> what the Web Database actually specifies.

In principle there is indeed no reason to suppose that we would use the  
same code as Webkit, any more than it makes sense to assume that IE will  
just copy/paste mozilla code. But we work to make implementations  
interoperable - that's what standards are about...

>> But I agree that it's premature to abandon WebDatabase. You should
>> have a chance to spec out the SQL dialect. There is negligible risk
>> of anyone significant implementing WebDatabase unaware of the
>> objections. There is a greater risk that authors will come to depend
>> on it because they think it's headed for spec status, but
>> implementations and marketing will encourage that anyway.
>
> Some authors have already come to depend on it without really caring
> about the future or present spec status. I don't think we can stuff
> that genie back in the bottle.

I think it make sense to clarify in working drafts that this spec is  
unlikely to be interoperable across the web at large, but is usable for  
various specific systems.

I don't think it makes sense to just turn it into a note at this stage -  
as the Google guys said, let's get some experience with WebSimpleDB before  
we make a final call. Likewise, I agree with Robin that it might not make  
sense to take this to Last Call, because of the uncertainty about where we  
are going to end up.

cheers

Chaals

-- 
Charles McCathieNevile  Opera Software, Standards Group
     je parle français -- hablo español -- jeg lærer norsk
http://my.opera.com/chaals       Try Opera: http://www.opera.com

Received on Wednesday, 18 November 2009 22:51:31 UTC