Re: IBM Position Statement on XForms and Web Forms 2.0

On Aug 29, 2006, at 23:21, John Boyer wrote:

> Most of the current differences between XForms and WF2 appear to be  
> along two orthogonal axes:

Indeed the serialization (XML vs. HTML5) is orthogonal to the  
functionality of WF2:

> 2) XML vs. non-XML content:  the extent of belief in the premise  
> that new features in HTML should be defined via XML syntax rather  
> than non-XML syntax

Note that the server back end of a Web Forms 2.0 app can be fully  
based on an XML toolchain. Support for the HTML5 serialization  
doesn't need to permeate the entire app: a simple HTML5 serializer  
can sit between the XML-based app core and HTTP.

> In conclusion, IBM strongly advocates for the renewed charter of  
> the XForms and HTML working groups to include unification of the  
> Web Forms 2.0 work with emphases on the ease-of-use benefits from  
> WF2 and the XML basis from XForms.

I think such unification would be a bad idea, since it would  
effectively defeat the whole point of WF2.

WF2 is designed as an update to HTML forms without the complexity of  
XForms. Unifying WF2 with XForms would therefore fundamentally change  
the nature of WF2 and effectively destroy the value proposition of  
WF2. After unification we'd only have an even more complex version of  
XForms.

-- 
Henri Sivonen
hsivonen@iki.fi
http://hsivonen.iki.fi/

Received on Friday, 1 September 2006 12:04:55 UTC