RE: MCE Revision Issue: §6, "Overview"

[John Haug]

My late homework.  From the further discussion on the call, how about this.  This incorporates the points raised about preserving extensions and noting that before the words about disregarding them.  I also made a few cleanups.

Existing:
Application-defined extension elements specify a method for defining extensibility points within the markup specification. This allows producers to introduce new features scoped to particular elements within the markup specification. Consumers can disregard these self-contained blocks of additional features.

Proposed:
Application-defined extension elements specify a method for defining extensibility points within a markup specification. This allows producers to introduce new self-contained blocks of additional features scoped to particular elements. Consumers might preserve extensions even if they are ignored and cannot be handled.


I suspect there will be a question about "ignored" in the last sentence.  I tried using disregard to avoid using the term ignored since we have a feature for ignorable namespaces, but that caused confusion.  I'd like to get across that consumers can safely ignore extensions if they're not understood.  If someone can think of a better word, please suggest it.  I'm fine with either ignored or disregarded since this is all an informative overview.

John

-----Original Message-----
From: John Haug [mailto:johnhaug at exchange.microsoft.com]
Sent: Tuesday, August 13, 2013 6:32 AM
To: SC 34 WG4
Subject: RE: MCE Revision Issue: §6, "Overview"

>From the discussion on the call, how about this:

Application-defined extension elements specify a method for defining extensibility points within the markup specification. This allows producers to introduce new features scoped to particular elements within the markup specification. Consumers can disregard these self-contained blocks of additional features and they might preserve extensions even if they cannot handle them.


-----Original Message-----
From: eb2mmrt at gmail.com [mailto:eb2mmrt at gmail.com] On Behalf Of MURATA Makoto
Sent: Tuesday, August 13, 2013 4:44 AM
To: SC 34 WG4
Subject: Re: MCE Revision Issue: §6, "Overview"

2013/7/24 John Haug <johnhaug at exchange.microsoft.com>:
> Good comment.  What I think I was getting at was that consumers that 
> don't understand the extension can safely ignore it.  The ext 
> definition in SpreadsheetML requires preserving unknown extensions 
> (18.2.7), the ones in PresentationML (19.2.1.11) and DrawingML (20.1.2.2.14, 21.2.2.62) don't.

I think that this para should mention preserving rather than ignoring.  Ignorable namespaces are never preserved, but app-defined ext elements can be (but need not to be) preserved.

How about:

Aplication-defined extension elements specify a method for defining extensibility points within the markup specification.  Markup consumers are expected to be ready to encounter any extensions at these points.  In particular, they might preserve extensions even if they cannot handle them.


Regards,



>
>
> Perhaps the best thing for Part 3 is to omit that last sentence.  That 
> paragraph is intended to give a rough informative overview of the 
> features in MCE, so saying anything about how they work (as opposed to 
> generally what they do) is probably not a good idea.
>
>
>
> John
>
>
>
> From: Francis Cave [mailto:francis at franciscave.com]
> Sent: Monday, July 22, 2013 3:50 PM
> To: 'SC 34 WG4'
> Subject: RE: MCE Revision Issue: §6, "Overview"
>
>
>
> The edits to §6 Overview are mostly OK, I think, but I'm concerned 
> about the wording of the final bullet point. Here it is with the changes applied:
>
>
>
> "Application-defined extension elements specify a method for defining 
> extensibility points within the markup specification. This allows 
> markup producers to introduce new features scoped to particular 
> elements within the markup specification. Markup Consumers can 
> disregard these self-contained blocks of additional features."
>
>
>
> I think that the first two sentences are OK, but the final sentence 
> looks wrong to me. Markup Consumers MAY be able to disregard these 
> extension elements, but only if the markup specification permits a 
> Consumer to disregard them. The way that ext is specified in Part 1 
> means that it must be preserved if not understood, so they may never 
> be disregarded. See Part 1 §18.2.7.
>
>
>
> Francis
>
>
>
>
>
> From: Rex Jaeschke [mailto:rex at RexJaeschke.com]
> Sent: 22 July 2013 18:46
> To: SC 34 WG4
> Subject: MCE Revision Issue: §6, "Overview"
>
>
>
> A few days ago, I posted to this email list, WG N 0264, "29500-3 (MCE) 
> Revision, WD0.91". It contains proposed changes by John H. based on an 
> action item he took at the Bellevue F2F meeting. This action item was:
> Rework this so we don't appear to be introducing any new terms. Use 
> plain English.
>
>
>
> Please post your feedback to this list. If we get enough support, 
> we'll close this issue on the next teleconference; otherwise, we'll 
> deal with it at the Delft F2F meeting.
>
>
>
> Rex



-- 

Praying for the victims of the Japan Tohoku earthquake

Makoto