WHAT WG Spotlight: How about a XUL Basic spec?

Hello,

  Matthew Raymond has kicked off a discussion at the
new WHAT WG mailinglist titled "Suggestion for a
Specification: XUL Basic".

  Matthew writes:

  I propose that the WHAT WG work on a specification
for a subset of Mozilla XUL that for the purposes of
this message I will call XUL Basic. XUL Basic will
actually be the combination of two smaller XUL subsets
which I will refer to as "Keymaster" and "Gatekeeper".

=== "KEYMASTER" ===

    The first subset, "Keymaster", is designed for use
in tandem with XHTML. The idea is to create a subset
that can be used in a mixed XUL+XHTML environment to
enhance existing XHTML web applications with controls
that don't exist in XHTML 1.0 itself.

  Here is the list of elements:

    box
    hbox
    menu
    menubar
    menuitem
    menupopup
    menuseparator
    tab
    tabbox
    tabpanel
    tabpanels
    tabs
    vbox

    "Keymaster" is intended for inclusion in browsers
and other programs that already support XHTML or
another language with similar features. This subset is
compatible with the existing XUL motors Luxor XUL
Toolkit and Zulu:

    http://luxor-xul.sourceforge.net/
   
http://zulu.netspedition.com/zulu/main/overview.shtml

=== "GATEKEEPER" ===

    The second subset, "Gatekeeper", is designed to
provide basic support for forms that are similar in
features to those you can currently create using HTML.
This subset allows the creation of simple XUL-based
web applications contained in their own dialogs or
windows.

Here is the list of XUL elements:

    button
    checkbox
    column
    columns
    description
    dialog
    hbox
    image
    label
    menuitem
    menulist
    menupopup
    radio
    radiogroup
    row
    rows
    separator
    spacer
    textbox
    vbox
    window

    Nearly the entire "Gatekeeper" XUL subset is
supported by Macromedia's XML2UI (which I believe is
part of Flash MX 2004. See the following page for
details:

http://garland.duramedia.net/pipermail/extendflash_flashguru.co.uk/20040419/000734.html

    XML2UI doesn't support description, image or
window. We could theoretically make this part of the
specification optional, but I'm not convinced that
it's necessary. The element menupopup is supported in
the form "menupop". I don't see the point in changing
the name of the tag to save two characters,
personally. Macromedia should be reasonably capable of
updating Flash MX 2004 to meet this potential
specification.

=== XUL BASIC ===

    XUL Basic is the combining of the above two
specifications. It allows menus, tabs, dialogs and
every type of control currently supported by HTML, and
it does it all with 32 tags. The two subset approach
allows developers to pick the subset that would be
most advantageous to implement, then go back and add
the other subset when they have the resources.

    XUL Basic is intended to be similar to XHTML
Basic. It would serve as a core standard for XUL
support that would be relatively easy to approve
compared to a full specification of Mozilla XUL. Once
approved, other modules could be added to form a more
complete specification of XUL.

=== In Closing... ===

    I'm not entirely sure this is in the scope of the
WHAT WG's charter. Let me know if this is not the
case. I felt this idea was important enough to present
on this mailing list, so I went ahead and posted. If
there is a more appropriate venue for this message,
please let me know. Thoughts, comments and
constructive criticism are welcome.
  
  Source:
http://listserver.dreamhost.com/pipermail/whatwg-whatwg.org/2004-June/000111.html

  What's your take on it? Any comments? Any thoughts?

  - Gerald

-------------------
Gerald Bauer
Open XUL Alliance - A Rich Internet For Everyone |
http://xul.sourceforge.net  


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