Re: [SVG 1.2] Make it less complex!

[OT]
In-Reply-To=<40fa5225.95783329@smtp.bjoern.hoehrmann.de>
References=<40fa5225.95783329@smtp.bjoern.hoehrmann.de>

I tried not to break this wonderful thread but I subscribed only 
recently to the mailing list so I can access this message only by Web 
interface. I have the "respond to this message" link, but for some 
reason Mozilla failed to register itself as default e-mail client for my 
Win98SE system and I certainly don't want to use Outlook Express to send 
this message!

I even tried to edit the source of the message but Mozilla doesn't allow 
me to do that (fortunately...) and I didn't dare to save as draft (which 
fails anyway!?) and edit it by hand on the Draft mail archives...
[/OT]

Dear Bjoern Hoehrmann,

I couldn't agree more with you: as a newcomer to SVG, I find the 
specification quite daunting... Actually, I came see it around 1999 and 
was repelled by the sheer size of the spec and the fact there wasn't any 
tutorial on the subject (or didn't found any).

Although I am a bit surprised by your assertion:
 > Testings showed that already the last four steps reduce the complexity
 > and implementation cost of the SVG specification to less than one
 > third

I don't see how reducing the number of dead trees necessary to print the 
specification (which is already an honourable goal) can reduce the 
implementation cost, but I probably missed something.

 > I could even think of just a single printed page!

It can be only some few words:

Make a drawing on a sheet of paper with whatever tool you have handy 
(pen, pencil, brush, finger...).
Scan this drawing.
You are done.

Of course, as it is too simplistic, we can extend it to more tools and 
medias, like canvas, Etch-a-Sketch, and such, but this is already 
introducing too much complexity.

[MODE class="SERIOUS"]
I suppose this answer a lot of complains, like the one I made to myself 
(see above)...

But I really wish to have a handy quick reference, cutting most of the 
"verbosity" of the specification, skipping small details, omitting DOM 
(which can belong to another reference), etc. But mentionnig each and 
every parameter.

This would not be a reference for implementors, of course, but for end 
users which want to get in pace quickly. Knowing of course that once 
user get accainted with the whole picture, he/she should read the whole 
specification as I do currently. It is much less intimidating once you 
got the grasp of SVG.
And it will remain a good tool while hand-coding SVG files.

There are now a lot of good tutorials on the Web, but I am not aware of 
such quick reference.

Of course, that's certainly not the role of the W3C to release such a 
document! :-)
[/MODE]

-- 
Philippe Lhoste
--  (near) Paris -- France
--  Professional programmer and amateur artist
--  http://Phi.Lho.free.fr
--  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  --

Received on Friday, 16 July 2004 07:25:18 UTC