[Bug 23271] New: confusing and unclear text about system focus and document focus

https://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=23271

            Bug ID: 23271
           Summary: confusing and unclear text about system focus and
                    document focus
           Product: WebAppsWG
           Version: unspecified
          Hardware: PC
                OS: Linux
            Status: NEW
          Severity: normal
          Priority: P2
         Component: DOM3 Events
          Assignee: travil@microsoft.com
          Reporter: oipfjon@gmail.com
        QA Contact: public-webapps-bugzilla@w3.org
                CC: mike@w3.org, www-dom@w3.org

I have been trying to understand what the DOM3 events specification requires
concerning sending focus and blur events to a document that has focus in the
browser when the browser itself gains and loses system focus. The most relevant
text I can see in the DOM3 events specification is the following text, under
the heading "Document Focus and Focus Context". 

"This event module includes event types for notification of changes in document
focus. Depending on the environment, document focus MAY be distinct from user
agent focus and operating system focus. This is referred to as focus context.
For example, in a typical desktop browser environment, the operating system
context focus might be on one of many different applications, one of which is
the browser. When the browser has focus, the user can shift the application
context focus (such as with the tab key) among different browser user interface
fields (e.g., the Web site location bar, a search field, etc.) before or after
achieving document focus. Once the document itself has focus, sequential
shifting of focus will step through the focusable elements in the document. The
event types defined in this specification deal exclusively with document focus,
and the event target identified in the event details MUST only be part of the
document or documents in the window, never a part of the browser or operating
system, even when switching from one focus context to another."

This paragraph is confusing and hard to read however it is not clear whether
changes in operating system focus and/or application focus within the browser
would generate focus and blur events when those changes involve the document.

On the surface, the text in the last sentence saying "The event types defined
in this specification deal exclusively with document focus" is very clear.
However there's no definition of "document focus" and the second sentence says
"Depending on the environment, document focus MAY be distinct from user agent
focus and operating system focus." Together these make the apparently clear
statement in the last paragraph in fact anything but clear.

If a document has focus within the browser and the browser gains and loses
system focus, that would seem to meet the requirement in the last sentence that
"the event target identified in the event details MUST only be part of the
document or documents in the window, never a part of the browser or operating
system".

Please can this text be made clearer about what is intended concerning focus
and blur events under these conditions.

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Received on Wednesday, 18 September 2013 07:33:20 UTC