Removing optional constraints (Re: Overconstrained)

Changing the subject line again, since "overconstrained" is another 
topic....

I have said this before, but repeat it too... I believe that not having 
optional constraints will lead clients to a style of programming that is 
likely to work only with specific devices, and may lead browser 
implementors to a style of programming where they ignore mandatory 
constraints with the argument that "they didn't know what they were 
asking for, we know better".

On 03/25/2013 06:35 PM, Martin Thomson wrote:
> I have made this case before, but I believe that it is worth repeating.
>
> Constraints present a very complicated API.  I do not believe that
> there are real use cases that cannot be supported with mandatory
> constraints and a number of attempts to change those mandatory
> constraints.
>
> I would like to propose that we remove optional constraints.
>
> Sure, it's relatively easy to contrive examples, but I don't believe
> that there is anything that a real-world application would unable to
> do using a mandatory-only constraints API.
>
> To add to this, a lot of the new features we are dicussing
> (capabilities, better device information) only makes optional
> constraints less relevant.
>
> If we retain these, I'd like to see better justification for their existence.
>
> --Martin
>

Received on Tuesday, 26 March 2013 11:08:44 UTC