Progress bars, ARIA and webAPI

Hi folks,

Web API is trying to get the progress events spec [1] finished as a matter of urgency. Currently we are essentially hung up on a problem of scope. The question is whether the spec should define all possible events necessary for progress UI components.

The arguent for is, I think, self-evident. The argument against is a little more complex, and goes like this:
1. Progress events never need to be fired, so you would not rely on them for your UI.
2. Instead, you build a standard widget for progress (i.e. one whose structure you know) of, for example, an XHR request.
3. *IF* you get progress events (you listen for them) then you can use them to provide more detailed information if you want to.

The theory is that this means your widgets will be more backwards compatible (being based on things like load events for setting up and destroying, so the simple versions will work in existing browsers).

There is a thread that went into this discussion at some length, with http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-webapi/2007Jan/0113.html and http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-webapi/2007Feb/0000.html as good starting points.

Your thoughts particularly on how ths integrates with ARIA work, sent to public-webapi@w3.org in the next ten days, would be greatly appreciated.

[1] http://dev.w3.org/cvsweb/~checkout~/2006/webapi/progress/Progress.html

cheers

Chaals (with WebAPI chair hat on).

-- 
  Charles McCathieNevile, Opera Software: Standards Group
  hablo español  -  je parle français  -  jeg lærer norsk
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Received on Sunday, 25 February 2007 12:53:09 UTC