Re: [css3-ui] ime-mode section shouldn't say "Implementations should drop support for it as soon as possible."

> On 27 Feb 2015, at 15:11, Masayuki Nakano <masayuki@d-toybox.com> wrote:
> 
> Hello,
> 
> First, I don't disagree with dropping ime-mode from CSS3-UI. As I said in 2012, I still believe that ime-mode shouldn't be standardized due to serious UX problems and bad dependence with platforms and IMEs)
> http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/www-style/2012Feb/0959.html

Hi,

Thanks for the feedback, now and then. Your 2012 mail did influence the decision to drop ime-mode.

> However, CSS3-UI spec shouldn't say, "Implementations should drop support for it as soon as possible".
> 
> Most ime-mode users, especially enterprise system developers, must be afraid browsers to drop ime-mode by this. Because if ime-mode were dropped from browsers actually, their system would become inconvenience than today.
> 
> I believe that ime-mode is still useful for internet applications in Japan. Therefore, browsers shouldn't drop such users without providing alternative API or CSS propery. If browsers would drop ime-mode under current situation, somebody couldn't believe web browsers as stable platform.
> 
> So, I think that the spec should say "Implementation may keep supporting it *only* for backward compatibility until alternative feature is standardized".

There are already some other features in the platform that can attempt to address this need, although not all have the same degree of maturity. Based on the following html attributes, UAs should be able to tailor the input interface (IME or otherwise) they display to users:

- the lang attribute https://html.spec.whatwg.org/multipage/dom.html#the-lang-and-xml:lang-attributes
- the type attribute of the input element https://html.spec.whatwg.org/multipage/forms.html#states-of-the-type-attribute
- the inputmode attribute https://html.spec.whatwg.org/multipage/forms.html#attr-fe-inputmode
- the pattern attribute of the input element https://html.spec.whatwg.org/multipage/forms.html#the-pattern-attribute

There is a standing issue against css3-ui (https://wiki.csswg.org/spec/css3-ui#issue-75) to refer to these in the section about ime-mode.

I do agree though that some more work in this area is needed before we can consider that a fully functional replacement to ime-mode is available, but I think it is important to point people to these approaches, especially since they need more attention.

To keep the essence of your message, while at the same time avoiding suggesting that there is nothing in the web platform to address this need, I would suggest the following phrasing:

"Implementation may keep supporting it *only* for backward compatibility until alternative features are sufficiently developed and supported"

 - Florian

Received on Friday, 27 February 2015 12:42:07 UTC