Re: Web Storage's Normative References and PR / REC

On Thu, 2013-03-07 at 07:28 -0500, Arthur Barstow wrote:
> Yves, Philippe,
> 
> WebApps agreed via [CfC] to publish a Proposed Recommendation of Web 
> Storage [CR] (implementation report is [ImplReport]). The CR has three 
> normative W3C references that are not yet Recommendations: DOMCore WD, 
> HTML5 CR and WebIDL CR. As such, we need you to clarify the implications 
> of these references re publishing a Web Storage PR and REC.
> 
> As I understand it, the Consortium's Process Document is actually silent 
> regarding maturity level of normative references. However, the Team 
> enforces - with some very specific exceptions - a reference policy via 
> "transition rules" ([TransRules]), in particular:
> 
> [[
> Note: In general, documents do not advance to Recommendation with 
> normative references to W3C specifications that are not yet Recommendations.
> ]]
> 
> I _think_ the various processes and policies permit the Web Storage PR 
> to be published with the normative references in their current status. 
> Is this true?

I believe that you are indeed correct.

> However, for the REC to be published, we can either wait until all of 
> the normative references are PRs themselves or we can ask the Director 
> for "exceptions". In case we want to pursue this later exception route, 
> would you please explain, what exactly the group would need to do for 
> each of these references?

The goal is to demonstrate that the materials referenced are stable and
any change to those references won't have an impact on the
recommendations.

For HTML5, by demonstrating that the concepts and features from HTML5
that are used are stable. One can do so by evaluating the referrences
and providing HTML5 tests for the features.

For WebIDL, the Web Applications Working Group advised the Director
that, by providing idlharness.js tests and demonstrating their support,
it would enough to demonstrate that the WebIDL syntax used in the
specifications was stable and well understood.

Hope this helps,

Philippe

Received on Thursday, 7 March 2013 13:52:38 UTC