Re: Request for suggested validation tools on the market.

On Tue, 20 Mar 2007 21:12:01 -0400
Melody Chamlee <melody.chamlee@mac.com> wrote:

> 
> On Mar 19, 2007, at 8:42 AM, Drake Wilson wrote:
> > Better yet,
> > fuzzy-match nonexistent tag and attribute names against the DTD, and
> > display possible corrections, similar to how spelling checkers
> > fuzzy-match against dictionaries.  If the names match in everything
> > except case, and the dialect in use is case-sensitive, display a
> > note to that effect for that suggestion.
> 
> That's a great idea.  To further that direction I can see a version  
> of the Validator evolving into a software application.  Perhaps  
> reference pointers would become integrated into the code, instead of  
> only in a line by line assessment.   Has anyone written a good  
> software application that validates at this level?  Sort of a spell- 
> check metaphor for validation?  Dreamweaver will pop up a proposed  
> tag as you're first typing, and Home Site will give you a line by  
> line analysis.  But to actually have the edits overlaid on top of
> the code could prove a very useful learning tool.

We've played with some ideas related to that, both within the W3C
validator and elsewhere:
  * OpenSP or libxml2 can auto-correct some errors and list possible
    corrections for others.
  * Page Valet and AccessValet offer a choice of views, including
    a normalised view of the markup with error messages inline,
    and some forms of error shown as corrected.
  * Some years back, we played with GUI visual views, of the kind
    they'd call AJAX nowadays.

> True.  Personally I look at the missed-obvious as a sign that there  
> is a barrier to entry somewhere.   What is it they're missing?  This  
> is more of a marketing question, but it's still apt to ask.  As an  
> education tool the W3C validator will always be a magnet to first- 
> time editor users.

I don't think any of the regulars here has the expertise to deal with
your marketing question.  Can you fill that gap?

-- 
Nick Kew

Application Development with Apache - the Apache Modules Book
http://www.apachetutor.org/

Received on Wednesday, 21 March 2007 09:01:18 UTC