RE: ISSUE-30: mousewheel event

Hi, folks-

I would like to point out that we need to accommodate not only existing
desktop/laptop devices, but also existing devices like phones, Blackberries,
etc., which have a wheel that is not necessarily connected to a pointer at
all. The Web is not just about desktop browsers anymore [insert Web2.0
buzzord/slogan here]. 

Additionally, most of the discussion seems to be revolving (sorry) around
HTML. In SVG, the wheel would more often be used to zoom than to pan
(scroll) since an SVG canvas is infinitely wide as well as infinitely long,
and the document design constraints are different; thus, I would expect that
in a Compound Document, an UI might use the wheel to scroll when over an
HTML control or window, and zoom when over an SVG (by default). Obviously,
this is overrideable by the author via script, and depends on the UA to
determine what best fits their UI metaphor. It is not up to DOM or WebAPI to
dictate what a UA does with the event, just that it makes the event
available. 

These arguments lead me to the conclusion that neither "mouse" nor "scroll"
are applicable to this event. Since we are redefining what the behavior and
syntax of the wheel is anyway, and since implementation are inconsistent, I
say that we should just call it something with no legacy confusions. That
way, existing content that uses the non-standard method still works, and UAs
that will support the standard event will have a motivation to implement it
as specified, not just let their old behavior persist. Either "wheel" or
"DOMWheel" seems most appropriate to me; it is simple, descriptive, and
unlikely to be confused with anything else (unless DOM is extended to
driving cars).

Regards-
Doug

doug.schepers@vectoreal.com
www.vectoreal.com ...for scalable solutions.

Received on Sunday, 5 March 2006 11:41:57 UTC