Re: After 5

2014-09-21 23:15, Sam Ruby wrote:
> I don't know what the "right" size is for a specification; but I'm 
> pretty sure it isn't the transitive closure of all of the normative 
> references to the HTML5 specification.

I don’t think anyone suggested making HTML5, or any specification, the 
transitive closure of its normative references. So this looks like a 
strawman argument, against something.

> I, like Robin and others, suspect that the right value is somewhat 
> smaller than the existing HTML5 specification.

You mean some existing draft for an HTML5 specification, presumably the 
current HTML5 CR.

The size of the draft is mostly affected by its attempt at exactness and 
formality, more than its scope. I think the exactness and formality are 
generally necessary to make the specification suitable for use in 
writing user agents and testing and evaluating them, even though it 
makes it difficult to read to developers. Some of the formalities could 
be relaxed, but this would not substantially affect the size.

HTML specifications up to HTML 4.01 have been rather readable and 
reasonable in size, though in many ways defective in exactness. I don’t 
think there is any realistic chance of making HTML5 even nearly 
comparable to them in that respect. Instead, “authors’ references” or 
“developers’ references” will be produced, probably with no normative 
status, and with some competition. But that’s not the end of the HTML world.

-- 
Yucca, http://www.cs.tut.fi/~jkorpela/

Received on Sunday, 21 September 2014 21:20:22 UTC