Re: XMLHttpRequest Level 1- specification history

On Mar 29, 2014, at 21:25, David Dailey <ddailey@zoominternet.net> wrote:

Hi all,



http://www.w3.org/TR/XMLHttpRequest/#specification-history



In the very beginning of the history part, we read



"The XMLHttpRequest
<http://www.w3.org/TR/XMLHttpRequest/#xmlhttprequest>object was
initially defined as part of the WHATWG's HTML effort. (Long
after Microsoft shipped an implementation.) "



To me this is ambiguous:



It could either mean



1.       Long after Microsoft had shipped a related implementation, the
XMLHttpRequest <http://www.w3.org/TR/XMLHttpRequest/#xmlhttprequest> object
was defined as part of the WHATWG's HTML effort

or

2.        The XMLHttpRequest<http://www.w3.org/TR/XMLHttpRequest/#xmlhttprequest>object
was initially defined as part of the WHATWG's HTML effort. (Much
later, Microsoft shipped an implementation.)



I suspect that 2, rather than 1 is meant, but given that Microsoft's
ActiveX extensions allowed something functionally similar, the earlier
interpretation might be found by readers.


Nope, 1 is meant. You're missing a comma for the second meaning:

1. Long after Microsoft shipped an implementation.
2. Long after, Microsoft shipped an implementation.

The first sentence is missing a verb, which is probably what tripped you
up. The following should be unambiguous:

"The XMLHttpRequest
<http://www.w3.org/TR/XMLHttpRequest/#xmlhttprequest> object
was initially defined as part of the WHATWG's HTML effort, long after
Microsoft shipped an implementation."

Best,

--tobie