RE: Status of algorithms

I am concerned by subtle conflicts in the normative text. For example, you read the following:

"The value of the text response entity body MUST be determined by running the following algorithm:"

The use of MUST as per RFC 2119 in this text makes the algorithm Normative, while the text you quote says: "User agents MAY optimize any algorithm..."

I fully accept that it is intended that optimizations will be permitted. It's just a formulation of the text that caused a little confusion for me. The normative text: "The value of the text response entity body MUST be determined by running the following algorithm," doesn't give the necessary flexibility that is intended.

---Rotan.

-----Original Message-----
From: Anne van Kesteren [mailto:annevk@opera.com] 
Sent: 19 June 2007 15:55
To: Rotan Hanrahan; public-webapi@w3.org
Subject: Re: Status of algorithms

On Tue, 19 Jun 2007 15:45:16 +0200, Rotan Hanrahan  
<rotan.hanrahan@mobileaware.com> wrote:
> In the conformance section [1] of the XMLHttpRequest Object WD, you
> mention:
>
> "The algorithms in this specification are generally written with more
> concern for clarity than efficiency."
>
> This suggests that more efficient algorithms may be possible, and may be
> more efficient. If the alternative algorithms lack some clarity, I am
> sure that there would be a formal mechanism for proving their
> computational equivalence.
>
> However, the normative status of the algorithms in the WD would preclude
> anyone making use of more efficient, yet equivalent, algorithms while
> maintaining conformance.

Why? The conformance section also mentions: "User agents may optimize any  
algorithm given in this specification, so long as the end result is  
indistinguishable from the result that would be obtained by the  
specification's algorithms."


> [...]
>
> [1] http://www.w3.org/TR/2007/WD-XMLHttpRequest-20070618/#conformance


-- 
Anne van Kesteren
<http://annevankesteren.nl/>
<http://www.opera.com/>

Received on Tuesday, 19 June 2007 16:11:42 UTC