Working with the HTML5 Community

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Working with the HTML5 Community

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We’re always excited to engage with members of the W3C including the developers of other browsers as well as the broader web development community to help shape the direction of emerging Web standards, particularly HTML5.  This includes participating in events like TPAC, which we wrote about in November, and on-going engagement with various working groups.  Patrick recently talked about joining the SVG working group, and I’d like to share a brief list of other happenings on the way to making HTML5 well-defined, well-tested, and accessible:

  • Providing feedback on HTML5
    Tony Ross, Internet Explorer Program Manager, and Jonas Sicking of Mozilla, led a discussion about extensibility in HTML5 at TPAC after our initial submission.  While the working group hasn’t resolved the issue yet, we think the event helped inform everyone and generate the different proposals submitted since. 
  • Testing HTML5
    Kris Krueger, Internet Explorer Test Lead, was appointed facilitator of the W3C HTML5 Testing Task Force.  The task force has set up necessary infrastructure like a wiki, Bugzilla, a work item tracker, and CVS repository for test cases.  With that in place, they’ve started to review DOM Level 2 HTML test cases to use as the start of HTML5 testing.  As with CSS2.1, we think a good test suite is critical to ensuring a specification results in interoperable implementations.
  • Ensuring new specifications enable accessibility
    We care deeply about an accessible web so besides implementing accessibility-focused browser features, we’re working with Apple, IBM, and other interested parties to ensure the new HTML5 <canvas> and <video> elements have great accessibility support so everyone can use sites leveraging them.  This work is driven by the Accessibility Task Force.  Together, we’re working on <canvas> HTML prototypes to use as ‘proof of concepts’ to ensure the feature is well-designed, as discussed in a recent teleconference
  • Indexed DB Proposal
    Together with Mozilla, we’re excited about a new design for local storage called Indexed DB.  We think this is a great solution for the web.  Look for another post with more information about this proposal.  In the meantime, you can read the latest working draft
  • DOM Level 3 Events
    Travis Leithead, Internet Explorer Program Manager, continues to help close down open issues with the latest editor’s draft. It’s been awhile since the working group published the last working draft and the group plans to publish an update soon that will improve clarity for implementers and web authors alike. On a recent teleconference, we noted that DOM Level 2 Events was published as a Recommendation nearly 10 years ago; it’s exciting to have the next milestone in sight!

Finally, you can read an interview with Paul Cotton from Microsoft and co-Chair of the W3C HTML Working Group on the W3C Blog.

Adrian Bateman
Program Manager

  • Before the complainers arrive, just want to say great stuff! Can't wait for Mix to arrive to see what you guys have been working on in action!

  • In before ridiculous and unrealistic comments about IE needing to switch to Safari.

    Great work! Can't wait to play around with this whenever it all gets implemented.

  • Nice summary.  Will need to take a long hard look at these papers.

    Much as I've not been fond of IE for a long time, by the sounds of it you're putting your efforts where they're needed.  Looking forward to seeing what comes from this.

  • Too bad such an effort isn't being put into IE9 but at least you're helping get the HTML5 spec going for the other more modern, advanced browsers that will actually implement this stuff.

  • good news, but what about compatibility with latest versions of CSS ?

  • Nice of you guys to remember the DOM Events spec actually exists!

    Yes, it has been 10 years and yes, that means IE is 10 years behind every other browser on earth. It's very exciting to "have the next milestone in sight", but does that mean that IE9 will finally have some support for it, or are we going to have to wait another 10 years ?

  • Web 3.0 will be about websites replacing applications and applications replacing the OS.

    So with that in mind the most critical thing that I would like to shed some light on is importNode and event listeners. No browser from my previous testing correctly executed attached events to imported nodes (via AJAX). That means having to use JavaScript XHTML attributes such as <element onclick="" onfocus="", etc.

    I'm excited about Mix and I'm very much looking forward to next week's announcements among other things.

  • 'That means having to use JavaScript XHTML attributes such as <element onclick="" onfocus="", etc.'

    Uh, no. More like jQuery/MooTools/etc and addEventListener (manually). Separate functionality from output and separate design from content. Inline styles and Javascript events are being deprecated.

  • Yes, I am also interested. Will Internet Explorer 9 support standard JavaScript like "addEventListener"?

  • In the DOM Level 3 Events WD I didn't see anything about touch based events. Now that touch based devices are becoming more popular, is the working group thinking about that too?

  • Great! I really believe you are excited in doing everything you are doing and it's obvious, this job needs a lot of enthusiasm....

    But, what's the matter?? What, who, and why makes you keep IE8 10 years behind ?

    Is it a commercial strategy?

    Lack of human resources?

  • Good to see you are back with the program!

  • What about XHTML 2.0 and why is W3C moving two different standards forward?

  • "On a recent teleconference, we noted that DOM Level 2 Events was published as a Recommendation nearly 10 years ago..."

    and you are still not supporting it in any released product. :)

    But, anyway, from what you are posting recently on this blog, I get the feeling you have big plans for IE9. Sincerely hope that's true!

  • Sort of me too to vasko.

    DOM Level 3 Events are nice, but it would mean much more to my work if you supported Level 2. And that includes Mutation Events.

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