I have a few substantive comments that
I hope can be entered.
2.3 Purpose - Syntax
I think this should be the WG's option
to specify either free-form hypertext or constrained plain text. This document
should provide the guidance that the Purpose string may go into various
tools and reports and should be appropriate for all that the WG reasonably
expects will be used.
2.6 SpecRef - Syntax
When I think "ideally" about
this item, I think XPointer should be used. Does anyone use XPointer?
2.7 Preconditions - Rationale/SeeAlso/Comments
Another thing that is NOT a valid use
of preconditions, besides setting parameters, is specifying filtering criteria
as a precondition. Have a SeeAlso pointer to Grouping as part of the contrast.
For example, it is wrong to say that test w6231 in the XFoo suite has a
precondition that the product under test must implement the Placid module.
Preconditions are tasks to do or situations to set up that are particular
to an individual case, derived from test assertions that have contingencies
about the environment or about prior actions. Preconditions are instructions
to the test harness or person executing the test, and should be independent
of the product under test.
2.10 Version - SeeAlso/Comments
Have a SeeAlso reference to SpecRef,
and a comment that since most W3C technologies attempt to be forward-compatible
across newer versions of the spec (and higher levels if they use levels),
it is desirable that test cases support that notion. Ideally, a test case
will not need to be revised to apply to the next version of the spec. Hence,
this "Version" datum always refers to the test case itself. Each
WG should define SpecRef and possibly other metadata (Grouping or their
own metadata items) to express which spec versions the test case supports.
Acknowledgments
Please change my corporate affiliation
to "IBM Research".
.................David Marston