Longhorn vs WHAT
p2pnet.net News:- Microsoft’s much-vaunted, but yet-to-appear, Longhorn is now under threat from a new hypertext application organization which includes Opera and Mozilla.
“The Web Hypertext Applications Technology working group … intends to address the need for one coherent development environment for Web Applications,” it declares here.
It’ll create technical specifications intended for implementation in ‘mass-market’ Web browsers, “in particular Safari, Mozilla, and Opera,” it states.
Initially, it will write:
- Web Forms 2.0: An incremental improvement of HTML4.01’s forms.
- Web Apps 1.0: Features for application development in HTML.
- Web Controls 1.0: A specification describing mechanisms for creating new interactive widgets.
“This work will be largely done outside of the World Wide Web Consortium, though finalised versions of the specs are expected to be submitted for formal standardisation, “writes Ian Hickson on mozillaZine here.
“While the decision to operate independently of the W3C may be seen as controversial, many feel that formal standards bodies move too slowly to react to proprietary technologies such as Microsoft’s forthcoming XAML. In addition, many in the W3C are pushing for Web applications standards based on technologies such as XForms and Scalable Vector Graphics, whereas the members of the WHATWG favour backwards-compatible HTML-based solutions, which they believe would be easier to implement and more likely to be adopted by Web developers.”
WHAT says software developers are, “increasingly using the Net as a software platform, with Web browsers serving as front ends for server-based services. Existing W3C technologies, including HTML, CSS and the DOM, are used, together with other technologies such as JavaScript, to build user interfaces for these Web-based applications.
“However, the aforementioned technologies were not developed with Web Applications in mind, and these systems often have to rely on poorly documented behaviors. Furthermore, the next generation of Web Applications will add new requirements to the development environment- requirements these technologies are not prepared to fulfill alone. The new technologies being developed by the W3C and IETF can contribute to Web Applications, but these are often designed to address other needs and only consider Web Applications in a peripheral way.”
Another reason for working outside the W3C, “could be the rift between Mozilla/Opera and other W3C members over what technologies Web applications solutions such be based on: Mozilla/Opera favour a backwards-compatible HTML-based standard, others are looking towards to XForms and SVG,” says Hemos on /. here. “It will be interesting to see if any other browser developers jump on board WHATWG.”
More specs may be added to cover other web app requirements, says WHAT, adding:
“For example, the working group may work on specifications for new semantic elements needed in common Web contexts such as e-commerce, forums, Web logs, and games.
“The working group intends to ensure that all its specifications address backwards compatibility concerns, clearly provide reasonable transition strategies for authors, and specify error handling behavior to ensure interoperability even in the face of documents that do not comply to the letter of the specifications.”
The WHAT group’s open mailing list will be its public forum.
Current invited members are Brendan Eich, David Baron, David Hyatt, Håkon Wium Lie, Ian Hickson, Johnny Stenback and Maciej Stachowiak.
June 10th, 2004 at 9:38 am
not sure if I should applaud the effort or cry at all the new code I’ll have to learn if this does become implemented.