- From: Struan Donald <w3-validator@exo.org.uk>
- Date: Sun, 20 Nov 2005 22:01:54 +0000
- To: www-validator@w3.org
- Cc: Olivier Thereaux <ot@w3.org>
* at 25/10 14:13 +0900 Olivier Thereaux said: Hi, Thanks for the heads up on this. > In version 0.6.0 of the Markup Validator, the users documentation [1] > had a note about some experimental new featured, stating: > [[ > The API and output format is subject to change without notice and may > well be removed or disabled at any time. They are provided now to garner > public feedback to determine how best to support this functionality in > the future. One particularly likely option being considered is removing > these features alltogether in favor of a full-blown SOAP interface. > ]] -- [1](archive) http://qa-dev.w3.org/wmvs/0.6.1/docs/users.html#api-warning > > However experimental and labeled "Here Be Dragons", the feature raised > interest, and started to be used by some of us. Plans were made to drop > it rapidly for a "real" SOAP interface [2], but this feature lost to > other priorities, such as UI (error explanations, easier feedback) and > architectural changes (templates). And now that the templates makes it > much easier, and thanks to similar work for the CSS validator, the SOAP > interface is here. Its model is closer to the EARL reporting language, > and ti benefits from SOAP features, such as fault management. And of > course, it has the advantage of not being Yet Another Homegrown XML > Format. > > [2] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/www-validator/2002Nov/0294 I assume that this doesn't apply to the information available in a HEAD request? It seems to still be in the current development instance. I'd certainly be in favour of it remaining as it provides a very low barrier to programmatic access to the validator assuming you don't care about the details of any errors in your pages. > I do not know yet when this SOAP interface will be in production it can > already be tested on our development instance [3], by adding > output=soap12 to a query, but when we do, we'll also drop the > experimental XML format. We could, and we may, simply say "you were > warned" and just drop it, but the XML format, however experimental, has > been around for quite a while (almost 3 years!), and we care about the > service provided by programmatic access to the validator, so at least we > are going to give an advance warning. > > [3] http://qa-dev.w3.org/wmvs/HEAD/ > > How we will exactly proceed is not set in stone yet, and that's why I am > sending this message. Struan, I have Cc'd you because I know you are an > active developer of a programmatic access library to the experimental > XML output. I am sure there may be others. I think it would be good if > you were involved in the transition. > > One possible plan could be to: > - finish documenting the interface, the namespace, and publish the WSDL; > - backport the feature from the version 0.8.0-dev onto a 0.7.2 release, > with an output=soap12 access. The output=xml would still be available, > but deprecated; > - and when releasing 0.8.0, the output=xml would be eventually removed, > or replaced with the SOAP output. > > Your thoughts on this plan would be much welcome. Also, if you know of > other people using the current XML output to access, or provide access > to, the Markup Validator, please make them aware of this e-mail. Documentation would certainly be handy ;) I think hanging onto the xml interface for a while would certainly be welcome partly as I know nothing about SOAP so it'll take a bit for me to actually write the code ;) Otherwise it seems fine with me. Cheers Struan
Received on Sunday, 20 November 2005 22:08:36 UTC