Re: DOM Mutation Events Replacement: When to deliver mutations

On 08/11/2011 03:44 AM, Rafael Weinstein wrote:
> Although everyone seems to agree that mutations should be delivered
> after the DOM operations which generated them complete, the question
> remains:
>
>    When, exactly, should mutations be delivered?
>
> The four options I'm aware of are:
>
> 1) Immediately - i.e. while the operation is underway. [Note: This is
> how current DOM Mutation events work].
>
> 2) Upon completion of the "outer-most" DOM operation. i.e. Immediately
> before a the lowest-on-the-stack DOM operation returns, but after it
> has done all of its work.
>
> 3) At the end of the current Task. i.e. immediately before the UA is
> about to fetch a new Task to run.
>
> 4) Scheduled as a future Task. i.e. fully async.
>
> -------
>
> Discussion:
>
> Options 1&  4 are don't seem to have any proponents that I know of, so briefly:
>
> Option 1, Immediately:
>
> Pro:
> -It's conceptually the easiest thing to understand. The following *always* hold:
>    -For calling code: When any DOM operation I make completes, all
> observers will have run.
>    -For notified code: If I'm being called, the operation which caused
> this is below me on the stack.
>
> Con:
> -Because mutations must be delivered for some DOM operations before
> the operation is complete, UAs must tolerate all ways in which script
> may invalidate their assumptions before they do further work.
>
>
> Option 4, Scheduled as a future Task:
>
> Pro:
> -Conceptually easy to understand
> -Easy to implement.
>
> Con:
> -It's too late. Most use cases for mutation observation require that
> observers run before a paint occurs. E.g. a widget library which
> watches for special attributes. Script may create a<div
> class="FooButton">  and an observer will react to this by decorating
> the div as a FooButton. It is unacceptable (creates visual
> artifacts/flickering) to have the div be painted before the widget
> library has decorated it as a FooButton.
>
> Both of these options appear to be non-starters. Option 1 has been
> shown by experience to be an unreasonable implementation burden for
> UAs. Option 4 clearly doesn't handle properly important use cases.
>
> -------
>
> Options 2&  3 have proponents. Since I'm one of them (a proponent),
> I'll just summarize the main *pro* arguments for each and invite those
> who wish (including myself), to weigh in with further support or
> criticism in follow-on emails.
>
>
> Option 2: Upon completion of the "outer-most" DOM operation.
>
> Pro:
> -It's conceptually close to fully synchronous. For simple uses
> (specifically, setting aside the case of making DOM operations within
> a mutation callback), it has the advantages of Option 1, without its
> disadvantages. Because of this, it's similar to the behavior of
> current Mutation Events.

Pro:
Semantics are consistent: delivery happens right before the
outermost DOM operation returns.

Easier transition from mutation events to the new API.

Not bound to tasks. Side effects, like problems related
to spinning event loop are per mutation callback, not
per whole task.



>
> Option 3: At the end of the current Task.
>
> Pro:
> -No code is at risk for having its assumptions invalidated while it is
> trying to do work. All participants (main application script,
> libraries which are implemented using DOM mutation observation) are
> allowed to complete whatever work (DOM operations) they wish before
> another participant starts doing work.
>
>

Con:
Since the approach is bound to tasks, it is not clear what should happen
if event loop spins while handling the task. What if some other task
modifies the DOM[1], when should the mutation callbacks fire?
Because of this issue, tasks, which may spin event loop, should not
also modify DOM since that may cause some unexpected result.

Callback handling is moved far away from the actual mutation.


Pro:
Can batch more, since the callbacks are called later than in
option 2.


-Olli


[1] showModalDialog("javascript:opener.document.body.textContent = '';", 
"", "");

Received on Thursday, 11 August 2011 09:02:59 UTC