Proposed Note about developer-level information

Hello,

In my review of NN 4.6 [1] and from other reviews,
it is apparent that some of the checkpoints cannot be
verified by mere mortals; developer documentation or
assistance is required. In particular, the following
information is difficult to ascertain without detailed
specs:

  1) Does the UA support all functionalities through a given
     input or output device API?
  2) Does the UA support a spec (W3C or other) 100%? Vendor claims
     are often exaggerated. 
  3) What information is made available through software APIs?
     (user interface controls, document object model, etc.)
  4) If it's possible to control the UA through an API, how is this
     done?

I propose that we include a Note in the document warning readers
that some of the checkpoints will be difficult to verify without
details from developers. For instance, in the section on Conformance,
we might say:

<BLOCKQUOTE>
Note. While the checkpoints have been designed to be verifiable, some
may be difficult to verify without documentation from vendors about
what features and APIs they support.
</BLOCKQUOTE>

 - Ian

[1] http://www.w3.org/WAI/UA/uagl-checklist-nn4.60
-- 
Ian Jacobs (jacobs@w3.org)   http://www.w3.org/People/Jacobs
Tel/Fax:                     +1 212 684-1814
Cell:                        +1 917 450-8783

Received on Sunday, 3 October 1999 22:11:28 UTC