Re: Optional method arguments in the DOM

I actually like this idea.

For example:
scrollIntoView( [bShowAtTop] )

hypothetical

b.cloneNode() // equivalent to b.cloneNode( false );



On 6/15/06, Boris Zbarsky <bzbarsky@mit.edu> wrote:
>
> Anne van Kesteren wrote:
> > What do implementors and authors think of having more optional method
> > arguments in the DOM where that makes sense?
>
> I frankly think it's a bad idea.  For UA-provided objects, it significantly
> increases the implementation complexity.  Since the IDL used can't express
> optional arguments, the UA would need to either ad-hoc define the default values
> for them or have a long hardcoded list of optional things with some sort of
> automated system for checking against that list on method calls...
>
> Even worse, it increases complexity for _anyone_ who wants to implement these
> interfaces.  Right now, if I want to write a JS library that allows authors to,
> say, abstract away XMLHttpRequest differences between UAs, and I want to use DOM
> events to communicate with my callees, I would implement EventTarget and authors
> could just use patterns they already know to set up listeners for events they're
> interested in.  If you start allowing optional args, then I have to deal with
> authors not passing in all the args, which means more code for me.
>
> -Boris
>
>


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Received on Thursday, 15 June 2006 21:32:54 UTC