[widgets] Base folder and resolution of relative paths

Hi,

Here are a few comments on the 28 January 2009 version of the Widgets 
1.0: Packaging and Configuration located in:
  http://dev.w3.org/2006/waf/widgets/

They are mostly triggered by the Content Localization section and the 
associated mechanisms to search for files. The following comments may 
well be garbage, that wouldn't be the first time I miss something ;-)


The base folder
-----
1. I wonder if there isn't a problem in the processing mechanism described.

Let's take part of the example in 6.5, and say my locale is "en":
/
  config.xml
   ... that contains a <content src="cats.html" /> in, say, Korean.
  cats.xml
  Locales/
    en/
      cats.html

Per Step 6, the base folder will be "/Locales/en".
Per Step 7, the Configuration Document is /config.xml because there is 
no config.xml in /Locales/en
Per Step 8, the "content" element part, the widget start file is the 
target of the "src" attribute. The value is "cats.html".
Per Step 9, the widget start file is set. I'm done.

I do not see anything here that makes me use the base folder. So final 
widget start file is "/cats.xml".
I would expect the start file to be /Locales/en/cats.html in that case. 
Did I miss something?


2. In 6.5, a note says:
  "At runtime, the widget user agent will set the (HTML or XML) base of 
the *start file* to the localized folder".
Based on the above comment, shouldn't that rather be:
  "At runtime, the widget user agent will set the (HTML or XML) base of 
the *Configuration file* to the localized folder".

In any case, this note should appear either in Step 8 to tell processors 
to change the base of the configuration file to the base folder, or at 
the end of Step 9 to remind processors that they need to change the base 
when parsing the start file.


3. I find the definition of *base folder* slightly confusing:
  http://dev.w3.org/2006/waf/widgets/#base-folder
  "The base folder is the folder from which all relative paths are 
resolved."

 From what I understand the base folder has two uses:
  a. to effectively change the base of the [configuration/start] 
(depending on what you decide for 2.) file when it is processed, in 
which case it is indeed used to resolve relative paths, though only in 
one file
  b. to search for localized default files, in which case it is not 
really used to resolve any relative path.

The definition makes it look as though the processor needs to change the 
HTML or XML base in all the files it processes.
I confess I do not have any better definition in mind.

My whole point is more that the resolution of relative paths looks 
confusing and could be clarified. I do not think it requires any 
substantive change to the specification.



The Localized Widget Example
-----
Section 6.5 Content Localization
  http://dev.w3.org/2006/waf/widgets/#content-localization

I see that the example was updated from the Last Call version in 
response to a comment. As it stands, I'm having problems linking the 
"relevant things to note" with the example in itself:

1. First bullet point is "The config.xml file at the root configures 
English (en/, en-gb/) and Korean versions of the widget":
  - I see the mention to the Korean language in the root config.xml 
file, but why does it configure English?
  - there is an "en-au" subfolder in locales, but no "en-gb".

2. Second bullet reads "All localized instances rely on the same 
un-localized script (engine.js)". If that's the case:
  - The value of the src attribute in /locales/en-au/cats.html should 
start with a "/":
   <script src="/scripts/engine.js">
   (that was the case in the published Last Call)
  - the locales/en-au/scripts/engine.js is confusing at best, and should 
be removed
  Alternatively, the bullet could read "The English-Australia version 
uses a localized script (engine.js). The Spanish version uses the 
un-localized script in /scripts/engine.js.



Minor typos
-----
- 3.2 Internationalized Tag Set Support
  http://dev.w3.org/2006/waf/widgets/#internationalized-tag-set-support
  "to support *of* other" -> "to support other"?

- 6.2 Files and Content Types
  http://dev.w3.org/2006/waf/widgets/#base-folder6.2
  "For sniffng the content type" -> "For sniffing the content type"

- 6.2 Files and Content Types
  http://dev.w3.org/2006/waf/widgets/#base-folder6.2
  "defuault functionality" -> "default functionality"

- In Step 3 - Set the Configuration Defaults:
  http://dev.w3.org/2006/waf/widgets/#step-3-set-the-configuration-defaults
  In the Configuration Defaults table, the base folder description links 
back to the line. Correct anchor should be "base-folder", not 
"base-folder-0"


Thanks,
Francois Daoust.

Received on Thursday, 29 January 2009 13:22:10 UTC