RE: What is the DOM4 Attr interface used for?

"Roy Walmsley" <[email protected]> Sun, 21 Feb 2016 10:31:12 -0000
Newsgroups gmane.comp.web.dom.general
Message-ID <[email protected]>
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Sebastian,

=20

Thanks for the further clarification. One last question, I hope =
=E2=80=A6

=20

If the living standard supersedes level 4 then where does it tell me =
that? If I go to your general standards page =
(https://www.w3.org/TR/#tr_DOM) I see nothing that tells me that the DOM =
specifications have been superseded. There is no reference to the living =
standard. And, on the living standards page =
(https://dom.spec.whatwg.org/) there is no reference to it superseding =
level 4.

=20

As a potential user and developer I need to be able to determine, =
unambiguously, and easily, what the latest, current standard is.

=20

Regards,

=20

Roy

=20

From: Sebastian Zartner [mailto:[email protected]]=20
Sent: 21 February 2016 09:26
To: Roy Walmsley
Cc: Anne van Kesteren; [email protected]
Subject: Re: What is the DOM4 Attr interface used for?

=20

On 20 February 2016 at 20:46, Roy Walmsley <[email protected]> =
wrote:

Anne,

Many thanks for your response.

While I understand how the situation arose, it still doesn't solve the =
problem of the level 4 specification. As it stands at the moment, the =
"Attr" interface is not included either directly or indirectly in the =
"Element" interface. Consequently, elements have no attributes. So it is =
effectively impossible to implement.

=20

That assumption is incorrect. The 'Element' interface has the =
'attributes' property, which returns the DOM Level 3 'NamedNodeMap' (as =
you've already recognized).
=20

I can see that the "NamedNodeMap" interface is defined in the level 3 =
core, so cannot be changed without breaking level 3 and lower. Why don't =
you redefine it in Level 4 with the current definition from the living =
standard?

=20

The living standard *is* the current specification, superseding Level 4.

Sebastian

=20

Leaving the level 4 specification in its current state requires, at the =
very least, a red comment highlighting the problem to users.

Regards,

Roy


-----Original Message-----
From: Anne van Kesteren [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: 19 February 2016 13:40
To: Roy Walmsley
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Re: What is the DOM4 Attr interface used for?

Hi Roy,

Welcome to the DOM community. These days we mostly hang out in =
https://github.com/whatwg/dom and https://wiki.whatwg.org/wiki/IRC.

On Wed, Feb 17, 2016 at 4:39 PM, Roy Walmsley =
<[email protected]> wrote:
> I, as a DOM novice, have been studying the DOM4 specification
> available on-line at https://www.w3.org/TR/dom/.

It's unfortunately not very clear, but you want to study =
https://dom.spec.whatwg.org/ instead.


> I make the assumption that, previously, individual =
=E2=80=9CElement=E2=80=9D
> attributes were defined as =E2=80=9CAttr=E2=80=9D objects which, =
inheriting the =E2=80=9CNode=E2=80=9D
> interface, could be listed in a =E2=80=9CNamedNodeMap=E2=80=9D =
attribute.

Correct.


> Now, however, it seems to me, that =E2=80=9CNamedNodeMap=E2=80=9D is =
not an
> appropriate type for the =E2=80=9Cattributes=E2=80=9D attribute in the =
=E2=80=9CElement=E2=80=9D interface.

It's not a correct name, but since it was only ever used by attributes, =
changing the type of the things it holds is actually possible. Having =
said that, we might have to change Attr objects back to being Attr node =
objects. It's a little up in the air.


> As I said at the start, I am a novice to the DOM, albeit that I have
> many years programming experience. So, apologies if I have this wrong.
> I would be very grateful for clarification.

You're correct that it's a little weird, but unfortunately we cannot =
right all wrongs, just a handful.

Kind regards,


--
https://annevankesteren.nl/



=20


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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=3DEN-GB link=3Dblue =
vlink=3Dpurple><div class=3DWordSection1><p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497=
D'>Sebastian,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497=
D'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497=
D'>Thanks for the further clarification. One last question, I hope =
=E2=80=A6<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497=
D'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497=
D'>If the living standard supersedes level 4 then where does it tell me =
that? If I go to your general standards page (<a =
href=3D"https://www.w3.org/TR/#tr_DOM">https://www.w3.org/TR/#tr_DOM</a>)=
 I see nothing that tells me that the DOM specifications have been =
superseded. There is no reference to the living standard. And, on the =
living standards page (<a =
href=3D"https://dom.spec.whatwg.org/">https://dom.spec.whatwg.org/</a>) =
there is no reference to it superseding level 4.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p =
class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497=
D'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497=
D'>As a potential user and developer I need to be able to determine, =
unambiguously, and easily, what the latest, current standard =
is.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497=
D'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497=
D'>Regards,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497=
D'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497=
D'>Roy<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497=
D'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><b><span =
lang=3DEN-US =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span>=
</b><span lang=3DEN-US =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Sebastian =
Zartner [mailto:[email protected]] <br><b>Sent:</b> 21 February =
2016 09:26<br><b>To:</b> Roy Walmsley<br><b>Cc:</b> Anne van Kesteren; =
[email protected]<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: What is the DOM4 Attr interface =
used for?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p =
class=3DMsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><div><div><div><p =
class=3DMsoNormal>On 20 February 2016 at 20:46, Roy Walmsley &lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" =
target=3D"_blank">[email protected]</a>&gt; =
wrote:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=3DMsoNormal>Anne,<br><br>Many thanks for =
your response.<br><br>While I understand how the situation arose, it =
still doesn't solve the problem of the level 4 specification. As it =
stands at the moment, the &quot;Attr&quot; interface is not included =
either directly or indirectly in the &quot;Element&quot; interface. =
Consequently, elements have no attributes. So it is effectively =
impossible to implement.<o:p></o:p></p><div><p =
class=3DMsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p></div><div><p =
class=3DMsoNormal>That assumption is incorrect. The 'Element' interface =
has the 'attributes' property, which returns the DOM Level 3 =
'NamedNodeMap' (as you've already =
recognized).<br>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p></div><blockquote =
style=3D'border:none;border-left:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm =
6.0pt;margin-left:4.8pt;margin-right:0cm'><p class=3DMsoNormal>I can see =
that the &quot;NamedNodeMap&quot; interface is defined in the level 3 =
core, so cannot be changed without breaking level 3 and lower. Why don't =
you redefine it in Level 4 with the current definition from the living =
standard?<o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><div><p =
class=3DMsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p></div><div><p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'margin-bottom:12.0pt'>The living standard *is* the current =
specification, superseding Level 4.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p =
class=3DMsoNormal>Sebastian<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p =
class=3DMsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p></div><blockquote =
style=3D'border:none;border-left:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm =
6.0pt;margin-left:4.8pt;margin-right:0cm'><p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'margin-bottom:12.0pt'>Leaving the level 4 specification in its =
current state requires, at the very least, a red comment highlighting =
the problem to users.<o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote =
style=3D'border:none;border-left:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm =
6.0pt;margin-left:4.8pt;margin-right:0cm'><p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'margin-bottom:12.0pt'>Regards,<br><br>Roy<br><br><br>-----Origin=
al Message-----<br>From: Anne van Kesteren [mailto:<a =
href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>]<br>Sent: 19 =
February 2016 13:40<br>To: Roy Walmsley<br>Cc: <a =
href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a><br>Subject: Re: What =
is the DOM4 Attr interface used for?<br><br>Hi Roy,<br><br>Welcome to =
the DOM community. These days we mostly hang out in <a =
href=3D"https://github.com/whatwg/dom" =
target=3D"_blank">https://github.com/whatwg/dom</a> and <a =
href=3D"https://wiki.whatwg.org/wiki/IRC" =
target=3D"_blank">https://wiki.whatwg.org/wiki/IRC</a>.<br><br>On Wed, =
Feb 17, 2016 at 4:39 PM, Roy Walmsley &lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>&g=
t; wrote:<br>&gt; I, as a DOM novice, have been studying the DOM4 =
specification<br>&gt; available on-line at <a =
href=3D"https://www.w3.org/TR/dom/" =
target=3D"_blank">https://www.w3.org/TR/dom/</a>.<br><br>It's =
unfortunately not very clear, but you want to study <a =
href=3D"https://dom.spec.whatwg.org/" =
target=3D"_blank">https://dom.spec.whatwg.org/</a> =
instead.<br><br><br>&gt; I make the assumption that, previously, =
individual =E2=80=9CElement=E2=80=9D<br>&gt; attributes were defined as =
=E2=80=9CAttr=E2=80=9D objects which, inheriting the =
=E2=80=9CNode=E2=80=9D<br>&gt; interface, could be listed in a =
=E2=80=9CNamedNodeMap=E2=80=9D =
attribute.<br><br>Correct.<br><br><br>&gt; Now, however, it seems to me, =
that =E2=80=9CNamedNodeMap=E2=80=9D is not an<br>&gt; appropriate type =
for the =E2=80=9Cattributes=E2=80=9D attribute in the =
=E2=80=9CElement=E2=80=9D interface.<br><br>It's not a correct name, but =
since it was only ever used by attributes, changing the type of the =
things it holds is actually possible. Having said that, we might have to =
change Attr objects back to being Attr node objects. It's a little up in =
the air.<br><br><br>&gt; As I said at the start, I am a novice to the =
DOM, albeit that I have<br>&gt; many years programming experience. So, =
apologies if I have this wrong.<br>&gt; I would be very grateful for =
clarification.<br><br>You're correct that it's a little weird, but =
unfortunately we cannot right all wrongs, just a handful.<br><br>Kind =
regards,<br><br><br>--<br><a href=3D"https://annevankesteren.nl/" =
target=3D"_blank">https://annevankesteren.nl/</a><br><br><o:p></o:p></p><=
/blockquote></div><p =
class=3DMsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p></div></div></div></body></html>
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