Re: HTML WG comments on DI Select

Generator Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium) Dear Steven, 

Thanks for the comments from the HTML working group concerning our DISelect specification last call in http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-diselect-editors/2005AprJun/0021.html.

DIWG agrees with the HTML group that mixing styling and content is generally undesirable, and it is not our intent to promote such practices. Just because something is possible does not make it desirable. XHTML, through the style attribute, makes mixing of style and content possible. That doesn' t automatically mean that such usage should be encouraged.

It is certainly not DIWG' s intent to promote DISelect as an alternative to existing styling methods. Indeed, we would anticipate it being used, for example, to allow fine control over which of a number of CSS stylesheets might be used for different devices. Selection itself might take place completely external to the document containing the content.

These more realistic uses of DISelect are difficult to use when trying to describe and illustrate the basic syntax. DIWG believes that the best way to encourage good practice in the use of DISelect is to publish a primer alongside the formal specification. Work on this document has begun and publication will occur sometime after that of the formal specification.

DIWG expects to issue a second last call for the DISelect specification shortly. There have been a significant number of modifications.

By the way, the DIWG' s experience of developing sites that can be used by a multitude of different kinds of device shows categorically that while it is possible to use XSLT and CSS to create different versions, it is impractical to do so. Modern mobile systems, for example, avoid direct use of XSLT for adaptation, though they do use it in other roles. Such systems must cope with thousands of different kinds of device.

In summary, we will not make any specific modifications to the DISelect specification in response to this comment, but we will introduce a primer to assist readers in understanding how DISelect can be used in practice. 

Best wishes
Rhys