[webkit-gtk] Implementing Navigation Timing (Web Timing) using libsoup

[Zan Dobersek]

Hi everyone,

over the weekend I've been looking at how the Navigation Timing
specification[1] (previously named Web Timing) could be implemented on the
Gtk port. Bug #42432[0] covers this problem.

What basically needs to be done is to set specific points in the resource
loading algorithms that are analogous to the events that are mentioned in
the specification, more directly the PerformanceTiming interface[2].
Attributes from navigationStart to fetchStart and from domLoading to
loadEventEnd are already handled by document loading mechanisms (meaning
these are working, independent of which networking backend is used).
Attributes from domainLookupStart to responseEnd must be set to current time
when they occur in the process of loading the resources.

I'm asking libsoup gurus - what would be the best way to get this done?
I was thinking of either setting these points in proper spots or perhaps
creating a structure in libsoup, a sort of benchmarking tool that we could
then connect to through singals and acquire from it precise timing
information.

I've been trying the first option out, setting the points along the resource
loading, but it didn't feel like the information was quite accurate when
testing on the test page[3] that was set up. Because of that feeling I
started to think of creating a benchmarking tool in libsoup (more of an
object that would emit signals as the events occur).

I'll get some work-in-progress patches attached to the bug tomorrow if not
sooner. I'd like to hear opinions/recommendations on this!

Regards,
Zan

[0] https://bugs.webkit.org/show_bug.cgi?id=42432
[1]
http://dvcs.w3.org/hg/webperf/raw-file/tip/specs/NavigationTiming/Overview.html
[2]
http://dvcs.w3.org/hg/webperf/raw-file/tip/specs/NavigationTiming/Overview.html#sec-navigation-timing-interface
[3] http://webtimingdemo.appspot.com/
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