[Clarification] How operating environment requirements apply for embedded operating environments (e.g., Java in Windows)

Hello,

The definition of "operating environment" in the 22 June draft states:

   'The term "operating environment" refers to the environment that 
   governs the user agent's operation, whether it is an
   operating system or a programming language environment such as Java.'


I think that we should make clear that for Java user agents, the
operating
environment is Java, even when it's running in the surrounding Windows
environment.
In this case, I expect the UAAG requirements related to "conventions" to
refer
to Java conventions as long as the Java environment is used, otherwise
Windows
conventions.

Do others expect this type of cascade? If so, we should set that
expectation
in the document, for example in section 3.9 [1] under "Use of operating
environment 
features as part of conformance." For example:

  "Some of the checkpoints in this document involve operating
environment conventions 
   (checkpoints 4.2, 4.3, 4.9, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, 6.6, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4,
10.2,
   10.3, 10.4, 10.7, 11.3, and 11.4). The operating environment used to
satisfy
   these requirements must be named in a well-formed conformance claim.
A user agent
   may be implemented in an operating environment that is embedded
within another
   (e.g., a Java user agent running within an underlying operating
system).
   The requirements of this document only apply to the  "innermost" 
operating 
   environment governing the relevant user agent behavior, user
interface, APIs, etc.
   For example, if a Java-based user agent relies on the underlying
operating system 
   to satisfy checkpoint 4.2, then the conventions to follow for that
checkpoint 
   would be those of the operating system. Similarly, in the case where
two operating 
   environments are governing the execution of the user agent, then UAAG 
   requirements apply to to both of them."


 _ Ian

[1]
http://www.w3.org/TR/2001/WD-UAAG10-20010622/conformance.html#conformance-topics


-- 
Ian Jacobs (ij@w3.org)   http://www.w3.org/People/Jacobs
Cell:                    +1 917 450-8783

Received on Thursday, 5 July 2001 16:10:54 UTC