XMLHttpRequest Comments from W3C Forms WG

This comment on XMLHttpRequest [1] is from the Forms WG.

A standalone W3C Recommendation-track document is welcome, particularly because of the statement in [2] "The goal of this specification is to document a minimum set of interoperable features based on existing implementations, allowing Web developers to use these features without platform-specific code."  This goal was widely quoted in web discussion on the working drafts, and is no doubt an attractive feature of a standalone specification document.

The XMLHttpRequest functionality described in this document has previously been well isolated, and in fact XHR itself has beeen implemented by a number of different desktop browser vendors by copying the original implementations.  

It appears that the current draft, howevever, has a wide dependence on HTML5: [3] "This specification already depends on HTML 5 for other reasons so there is not much additional overhead because of this."  That dependence runs counter to the goals of allowing Web developers to use the features without platform-specific code.

While it may be useful for the HTML5 specifications to include XMLHTTPRequest and make enhancements to it, the dependency should be from HTML5 on XMLHttpRequest, and not vice versa.  Making XMLHttpRequest depend on HTML5 causes problems with non-HTML5 implementations of the feature.

In summary, we feel that the dependencies between HTML5 and XMLHttpRequest are in the wrong direction.  We ask that the dependency on HTML5 be eliminated, and that the XMLHttpRequest Working Draft be changed to specify minimum requirements for integration in the areas for which it depends on HTML5. The HTML5 document itself can surely satisfy these requirements.

Thank you,
Leigh L. Klotz, Jr.
Senior Software Architect
On behalf of W3C Forms WG

[1] http://www.w3.org/TR/2009/WD-XMLHttpRequest-20091119
[1] http://www.w3.org/TR/2006/WD-XMLHttpRequest-20060405/
[2] http://www.w3.org/TR/2009/WD-XMLHttpRequest-20091119/#dependencies

-----Original Message-----
From: public-forms-request@w3.org [mailto:public-forms-request@w3.org] On Behalf Of Steven Pemberton
Sent: Thursday, November 19, 2009 8:41 AM
To: Forms WG
Subject: Fwd: TransAnn: LCWD for XMLHttpRequest; comment deadline 15 December



------- Forwarded message -------
From: "Arthur Barstow" <art.barstow@nokia.com>
To: chairs@w3.org, "Sam Ruby" <rubys@intertwingly.net>, "Maciej Stachowiak" <mjs@apple.com>, "Paul Cotton" <Paul.Cotton@microsoft.com>
Cc:
Subject: TransAnn: LCWD for XMLHttpRequest; comment deadline 15 December
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:08:32 +0100

This is the Transition Announcement for the 19 November 2009 LCWD of WebApps' XMLHttpRequest spec:

    http://www.w3.org/TR/2009/WD-XMLHttpRequest-20091119/

The deadline for comments is 15 December. If you have any comments, please send them to:

    public-webapps@w3.org

WGs we identified to review: HTML WG. Comments from all other WGs are welcome and encouraged.

-Art Barstow

Received on Wednesday, 25 November 2009 20:47:42 UTC