RE: WSIA 5/9/2002: [wsia][wsia-requirements][R602]

From
Eilon Reshef <>
Date
2002-05-10T02:08:55+00:00
ID
000f01c1f7c8$0a441b40$1f00a8c0@eilon
Thread
RE: WSIA 5/9/2002: [wsia][wsia-requirements][R602]
Title: Message

If I remember correctly, Sean did not feel comfortable with the last 
sentence of statement 2 and the word "binary".

 

So, where we stand might be the following, with the exception that we 
still need to solicit input on the second part of statement 
3.

 

Sean - I did no go back to the somewhat long discussion yesterday, so 
please do (continue to ;-) correct me if I missed 
something...

 

This specification must support common Presentation formats, which are in use today in Net-enabled 
applications. In particular:

 

1. It MUST support 
Presentation Fragments in HTML, XHTML, XML and 
WML.

 

2. It MUST 
support ECMAScript as an associated scripting language, and 
MUST include a way 
to correctly route Actions triggered by 
scripts.

 

3. 
It SHOULD support other 
embedded elements 
(e.g., Flash, Applets, etc.), and SHOULD 
provide a way to correctly route 
Actions triggered by such 
elements.

 

 -----Original Message-----
From: 
Monica Martin [mailto:] 
Sent: Thursday, May 09, 
2002 7:13 PM
To: Sean Fitts; Eilon Reshef; 

Subject: WSIA 5/9/2002: 
[wsia][wsia-requirements][R602]

  
Agreed. 
Eilon, are we close? 
  
  
Thanks. 
Monica J. Martin 
Program Manager 
  
Drake Certivo, Inc. 
208.585.5946 

  
        -----Original 
  Message----- 
        From: Sean Fitts 
        
  Sent: Wed 5/8/2002 10:44 PM 
  
        To: Monica 
  Martin; Eilon Reshef;  
  
        Cc: Monica 
  Martin 
        Subject: Re: WSIA 5/8/2002: [wsia][wsia-requirements][R602] 
  
        
  
        

  
        This make 
  sense.  My main goal was to point out that the 
"presentation 
        
  fragments" referred to below consist only of "markup".  
  They 
don't today 
  
        and they won't in 
  the future.  I think we all agree that some of 
the 
        non-markup 
        bits will be opaque (what we have been calling "binary"), but 
  
that others 
  
        will not 
  be. 
        
  
        I do think that it 
  is useful to map these concepts into the 
specific set 
  of 
        technologies in use today (even if that mapping is temporary). 
  
It helps serve 
  
        as a sanity check 
  that what we do will be relevant to web 
application 
        developers 
        (not to mention the fact that I think better with concrete 
  
examples :-) ). 
  
        
  
        In terms of the 
  goals you outline below, I would add: 
  
        
  
        *       Provide a mechanism to support 
  modification of 
Presentation 
  
                 Fragments based on 
  Consumer supplied criteria. 
  
        
  
        Note that this 
  leaves aside the issue of where such 
modifications 
  are 
        performed. 
        
  
        Sean 
  
        
  
        At 08:18 PM 
  5/8/2002 -0700, Monica Martin wrote: 
  
        >One thing that 
  this lengthy and varied discussion has clearly 
shown, 
        >that we may never be able to define a comprehensive set of 
  
client-side 
  
        >scripting 
  languages unless for an instant (Sorry, everyone I am 
not a 
        >programmer by choice).  Perhaps we should concentrate on 
  what 
this 
  
        >requirement is 
  trying to accomplish: 
        
  > 
        >*       Provide a mechanism to 
  support triggered actions 
  
        >*       Provide support for 
  Presentation Fragments 
        
  >*       Provide support for 
  embedded Presentation Fragments 
  
        > 
  
        >As for the 
  modifications and/or adaptions that were discussed, 
this 
        >detail may be better left to subcommittee tug-of-war.  
  Suggest 
we 
  
        >concentrate on 
  the what, before the how. 
  
        > 
  
        >Thanks. 
  
        >Monica J. 
  Martin 
        >Program Manager 
  
        >Drake Certivo, 
  Inc. 
        >208.585.5946 
        
  > 
        > 
        >-----Original Message----- 
  
        >From: Eilon 
  Reshef 
        >Sent: Wed 5/8/2002 3:38 PM 
  
        >To: 'Sean 
  Fitts';  
  
        >Cc: 
  
        >Subject: RE: 
  [wsia][wsia-requirements][R602] 
  
        > 
  
        > 
  
        > 
  
        >         My thought was 
  around people that use scripts like 
this: 
  
        > 
  
        >         
  <script> 
        >         var target = " http://" + gMyDomain + 
"/mypage.rgb?page=" + 
  
        >document.form[1].pageNumber.value; 
  
        > 
  
        >         document.location 
  = targert; 
        >         
  </script> 
        > 
        >         My intent was to 
  formulate a part of the requirement 
that 
  
        >clearly states 
  that WSIA cannot expect Consumers to 
automatically 
        
  >rewrite this action to point back to the Consumer. 
  
        > 
  
        >         Does this make 
  sense as the intent of this part of the 
  
        >requirement? 
        
  > 
        >         As for a proposed 
  solution, one can consider three 
options: 
  
        >         1. Disallow such 
  cases and other such constructs 
(which is 
  
        >always the 
  last resort). 
        >         2. Define a 
  meta-language that does not require 
changes to 
  the 
        >script (assuming it's a script that was written beforehand), 
  
and tries 
  
        >to capture the 
  replacement locations externally (a-la 
adaptation). 
        
  >However, the halting problem (;-) does argue that there 
  will 
still be 
  
        >cases that the 
  external language won't be able to address. 
  
        >         3. Ensure that 
  enough information is passed to the 
Producer so 
  
        >that when it 
  either writes new applications or when it needs to 
adapt 
        >cases like this, it would be technically possible. 
  
        > 
  
        >         Any 
  thoughts? 
        > 
        >         Eilon 
  
        > 
  
        >                 
  -----Original Message----- 
  
        >                 
  From: Sean Fitts [ mailto:] 
  
        >                 
  Sent: Wednesday, May 08, 2002 5:57 PM 
  
        >                 
  To: Eilon Reshef;  
  
        >                 
  Subject: RE: [wsia][wsia-requirements][R602] 
  
        > 
  
        > 
  
        >                 
  At 04:51 PM 5/8/2002 -0400, Eilon Reshef 
wrote: 
  
        > 
  
        > 
  
        > 
  
        >                         
  I think I see your point (I thought of 
  
        >modification 
  as semantic versus syntactic), how about the 
following 
        >wording (which still puts the Customization issue aside): 
  
        > 
  
        > 
  
        >                 
  One small tweak, the modifications may be 
semantic, 
  but 
        >the 
  semantics are 
        >                 
  largely implied and will likely need to be 
described 
        >externally (ala the adaptation 
  
        >                 
  description in WSXL). 
        
  > 
        >                 
  I guess I don't see a lot of difference here 
between 
        >this type of modification and 
  
        >                 
  general markup modification.  Both contain 
semantic 
        >information, both require 
  
        >                 
  some sort of locator to identify the sections 
  
        >implementing a 
  given semantic 
        >                 
  operation, and in both cases, the semantics 
are 
  opaque. 
        > 
        > 
        > 
        > 
        > 
        >                         
  This specification must support common 
  
        >Presentation 
  formats, which are in use today in Net-enabled 
  
        >applications. 
  In particular: 
        >                         
  1. It MUST support Presentation 
Fragments in 
  
        >HTML, XHTML, 
  XML and WML. 
        > 
        >                         
  2. It MUST support JavaScript as an 
associated 
  
        >scripting 
  language. Such support MUST include a way to support 
Actions 
        >triggered by scripts. However, it SHOULD NOT be assumed that 
  
the 
        
  >Consumer is aware of the semantics of scripting 
  elements. 
        > 
        > 
        >                 
  Given the parallel between semantics of 
scripting 
        >elements and semantics 
  
        >                 
  of other elements (such as markup and/or 
actions), 
  I 
        >still 
  don't see the need 
        >                 
  for the second statement.  However, in this 
form 
  it 
        >seems a lot more benign 
  
        >                 
  (at least to my eye). 
        
  > 
        > 
        > 
        > 
        >                         
  3. It SHOULD support embedded binary 
  
        >presentation 
  elements (e.g., Flash, Applets, etc.). 
  
        >                         
  [Optional/Debate: Such support SHOULD 
provide a 
  
        >way to support 
  Actions triggered by such elements.] 
  
        >                         
  However, it SHOULD NOT be assumed that 
the 
  
        >Consumer 
  modifies the binary elements in any way. 
  
        > 
  
        >                         
  I personally think it makes sense to 
favor a 
  
        >single 
  technical approach that captures both (2) and (3), but I 
also 
        >don't see it as a high-level requirement but rather as a 
  
technical 
  
        >preference. 
        
  > 
        > 
        >                 
  Could you elaborate on this?  I'm not sure I 
understand. 
        >Thanks. 
        > 
        >                 
  Sean 
        > 
        > 
        > 
        >                                 
  -----Original Message----- 
  
        >                                 
  From: Sean Fitts [ 
        > mailto:] 
  
        >                                 
  Sent: Wednesday, May 08, 2002 
2:14 PM 
  
        >                                 
  To: Eilon Reshef; 'Rich 
Thompson'; 
  
        > 
  
        >                                 
  Subject: RE: 
        >[wsia][wsia-requirements][R602] 
  
        > 
  
        > 
  
        >                                 
  At 01:55 PM 5/8/2002 -0400, 
Eilon Reshef 
  
        >wrote: 
  
        > 
  
        > 
  
        >                                 
  I am not suggesting that the 
Consumer is 
  
        >not allowed to 
  change JavaScript, rather the suggestion is that 
we 
        >wouldn't assume that it should. To me, that's because 
  correctly 
        >analyzing code constructs (in any language) without 
  executing 
them is 
  
        >anywhere from 
  hard (from a practical perspective) to impossible 
(from a 
        >theoretical perspective, as Theory of Computation shows). 
  
        > 
  
        >                                 
  I don't see a connection 
between 
  
        >supporting 
  modification of JavaScript 
  
        >                                 
  (which I agree is an open 
issue) and the 
  
        >need to 
  support complete, 
        >                                 
  path wise analysis of it. 
Leaving the 
  
        >halting 
  problem aside for a bit, it 
  
        >                                 
  would seem possible to extend 
the 
  
        >Adaptation 
  Description Language 
        
  >                                 
  proposed by IBM to include 
JavaScript 
  
        >modifications 
  along with XML 
        >                                 
  and CSS ones. 
        > 
        > 
        > 
        > 
        >                                 
  This is not to say that WSIA 
can't 
  
        >define an 
  interface that uses JavaScript (e.g., I assume the 
committee 
        >may decide to define JavaScript functions, events, etc.), but 
  I 
guess 
  
        >that the 
  question is can we require the Consumer to analyze 
JavaScript 
        >code to support action routing, for example? 
  
        > 
  
        >                                 
  Again, I don't see how leaving 
the 
  
        >second 
  sentence out leads to 
        
  >                                 
  *requiring* the Consume to 
analyze or 
  
        >even modify 
  JavaScript.  Such a 
        
  >                                 
  statement would seem to need a 
positive 
  
        >assertion that 
  such modification 
        >                                 
  *is* a requirement (something 
which 
  
        >again, I view 
  as open). 
        > 
        > 
        > 
        > 
        >                                 
  Customization is definitely 
something 
  
        >that we will 
  be discussing in the Customization sub-committee. 
My 
        >working assumption is that the requirement below is rather 
  
generic, and 
  
        >applies to 
  anywhere from the scope of WSIA in general, to 
action 
        >routing, unique tokens, etc., and that it might be changed 
  as 
the 
  
        >Customization 
  sub-committee proceeds. 
        
  > 
        >                                 
  I guess my take is that it is 
too 
  
        >generic.  
  It seems to be trying to 
        
  >                                 
  take a half step and would 
result in 
  
        >muddying 
  things instead of making 
        
  >                                 
  them clearer.  If it really 
doesn't 
  
        >place any 
  restrictions one way or the 
  
        >                                 
  other on our work, then it 
doesn't seem 
  
        >like a 
  requirement and I would 
        
  >                                 
  argue it should not be 
included. 
  
        > 
  
        > 
  
        >                                 
  Sean 
        > 
        > 
        > 
        > 
        >                                 
  Eilon 
        > 
        >                                 
  -----Original Message----- 
  
        >                                 
  From: Sean Fitts [ 
        > mailto:] 
  
        > 
  
        > 
  
        >                                 
  2. It MUST support JavaScript 
as an 
  
        >associated 
  scripting language and MUST provide a way to support 
actions 
        >triggered by scripts. [Optional/Debate: However, it MUST NOT 
  be 
assumed 
  
        >that scripting 
  elements are modified by the Consumer in any 
way.] 
        > 
        >                 
  Why do you feel that the second "MUST NOT" 
statement 
  is 
        >necessary? 
        
  >                 
  To me it seems overly restrictive since it 
impacts 
  both 
        >what types of 
        
  >                 
  customization we will support and where the 
  
        >customization 
  will occur. 
        >                 
  My understanding is that both of these issues 
are 
  still 
        >up for debate/ 
  
        >                 
  description in the customization sub-group. 
  
        > 
  
        > 
  
        > 
  
        > 
  
        > 
  
        > 
  
        > 
  
        > 
  
        
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