Re: Mutation events replacement

On 8/4/11 6:38 AM, Olli Pettay wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> here is a bit different proposal for mutation events replacement.
> This is using the mostly-sync approach, and batching can make it easier
> to use with several simultaneous script libraries; each one would use 
> their own batch.
> For performance reasons it might be useful to have an attribute name
> filter for AttrChange, but such thing could be added later.
> One advantage this approach has is that it doesn't pollute Node API.
>
>
> -Olli
>

I'm intrigued by the idea, but confused by the API (or at least by 
naming issues in the API).

- ModificationBatch is both a batch of modifications and also a set of 
methods for requesting modification batches.  Should there be separate 
ModificationBatch and ModificationBatcher interfaces?

- The pattern of passing a callback function to a constructor is novel 
in the DOM.  Will this confuse people too much?  Also, if the callback 
is passed to the constructor, there isn't a deregistration method.  I 
assume that you achieve this by calling unbatchAll(), but that seems 
non-parallel.  What if the ModificationCallback was passed to the 
individual batch/unbatch methods instead?

- The name batchTextChanges() implies to me that it is expressing a 
preference to receive text changes in batched form, and that if you 
don't call this method you'll still get text changes, just one at a 
time.  I don't think that is the intent, but that is what the name 
implies to me.  How about something (verbose) like 
addTextChangeBatchListener() (and pass the ModificationCallback to this 
method instead of to the constructor)

     David
>
>
> interface Modification {
>   /**
>    * type is either TextChange, ChildListChange or AttrChange.
>    * (More types can be added later if needed.)
>    */
>   readonly attribute DOMString       type;
>
>   /**
>    * Target of the change.
>    * If an attribute is changed, target is the element,
>    * if an element is added or removed, target is the node
>    * which was added or removed.
>    * If text is changed, target is the CharacterData node which was
>    * changed.
>    */
>   readonly attribute Node            target;
>   /**
>    * parent node of the target right before the change happened,
>    * or null.
>    */
>   readonly attribute Node            targetParent;
>   /**
>    * The node which is "batching" the change.
>    */
>   readonly attribute Node            currentTarget;
>
>   /**
>    * The name of the attribute which was changed, or null.
>    */
>   readonly attribute DOMString       attrName;
>
>   /*
>    * The previous value of the attribute or CharacterData node, or null.
>    * If a new attribute is added, prevValue is null.
>    */
>   readonly attribute DOMString       prevValue;
>
>   /*
>    * The new value of the attribute or CharacterData node, or null.
>    * If an attribute is removed, newValue is null.
>    */
>   readonly attribute DOMString       newValue;
> };
>
> [Callback, NoInterfaceObject]
> interface ModificationCallback {
>   void handleBatch(in ModificationBatch aBatch);
> };
>
> [Constructor(in ModificationCallback aDoneCallback)]
> interface ModificationBatch {
>   /**
>    * Modifications is non-empty array only while aDoneCallback
>    * is called. And while that happens, modifications list doesn't
>    * change.
>    */
>   readonly attribute Modification[] modifications;
>
>   void batchTextChanges(in Node aNode);
>   void unbatchTextChanges(in Node aNode);
>
>   void batchChildListChanges(in Node aNode);
>   void unbatchChildListChanges(in Node aNode);
>
>   void batchAttrChanges(in Node aNode);
>   void unbatchAttrChanges(in Node aNode);
>
>   void batchAll();
>   void unbatchAll();
> };
>
> aDoneCallback is called right before the call which is modifying DOM
> returns. If aDoneCallback modifies DOM, new modifications list will be 
> collected
> and callbacks will be called right after the initial aDoneCallback 
> returns.
> ModificationBatches are always handled in the order they are *created*.
> Callbacks are never called if modifications list is empty.
>
>
> Example 1:
> // log all the attribute changes
> var o = new ModificationBatch(function(b) {
>                                 for (var i = 0; i < 
> b.modifications.length; ++i) {
>                                   var m = b.modifications[i];
>                                   if (m.prevValue == null) {
>                                     console.log(m.attrName + " added");
>                                   } else if (m.newValue == null) {
>                                     console.log(m.attrName + " removed");
>                                   } else {
>                                     console.log(m.attrName + " 
> modified");
>                                   }
>                                 }
>                               }
>                             );
> o.batchAttrChanges(document);
>
>
>

Received on Thursday, 4 August 2011 19:15:21 UTC