[webkit-dev] Adding <main> element to WebCore

[Ryosuke Niwa]

On Thu, Nov 29, 2012 at 6:42 PM, James Craig <jcraig at apple.com> wrote:

>
> On Nov 29, 2012, at 6:33 PM, James Craig <jcraig at apple.com> wrote:
>
> On Nov 29, 2012, at 6:19 PM, James Robinson <jamesr at google.com> wrote:
>
> This is an interesting standards debate but as many people have noted it
> does not belong on the webkit-dev list, which is for coordinating the
> development of WebKit. Please take this over to whatwg@ or some other
> appropriate standards list.
>
>
> I think it's valid to discuss here because this thread started as a
> request for comments on a patch.
>
> 1. This patch is valid for consideration because there is already an
> extension specification for HTML 5 that was approved for publish by
> consensus of the HTML Accessibility Task Force.
>
>
> One minor correction. This extension specification was approved "with no
> objections and ample support" by the main HTML Working Group, not just by
> the task force.
> http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-html/2012Nov/0232.html
>
> Which I believe means inclusion of the patch should be accepted once it
> gets reviewer approval, no?
>

Have other browser vendors implemented this feature or have shown their
commitments to implement this feature? Or better yet, have we seen anyone
using the element?

I'd say it's still pre-mature to add the support to WebKit given the
discussion taking place on this thread (particularly per Brendan's
comment) and WHATWG. Furthermore, there is nothing that prevents authors
from using main element today since the only difference will be whether
it's recognized by AT and that prototype name will be HTMLMainElement once
we support it. I would have been more supportive of the patch if it were
adding some Web-content visible API but this is one feature authors can
start using today without us explicitly supporting it.

Given above points and that the patch is fairly small and self-contained, I
don't see a harm in waiting another couple of weeks or months until
standards discussion settles assuming that the main element doesn't become
the longdesc of the next decade.

- R. Niwa
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.webkit.org/pipermail/webkit-dev/attachments/20121129/65dbc08a/attachment.html>