[selectors-api] Matching subtrees or not

Section 6 states:
"The querySelector() method ... must ... return the first matching  
Element node ***within the node’s subtree***." [1]
"The querySelectorAll() method ... must ... return ... all of the  
matching Element nodes ***within the node’s subtree***..." [2]
(Emphasis mine.)

In conflict, Section 8 (Examples) states:
"Even though the method is invoked on an element, ***selectors are  
still evaluated in the context of the entire document***. In the  
following example, the method will still match the div element's child  
p element, even though the body element is not a descendant of the div  
element itself." [3]
(Emphasis mine.)

As Section 8 is non-normative (being an example, as covered under  
section 2), I assume that it is wrong. I agree with the specifications  
as stated in section 6: invoking the methods on a node should only  
match against the subtree of that node (or possibly the node and its  
subtree), not the entire document.

[1] http://www.w3.org/TR/2008/WD-selectors-api-20081114/#queryselector
[2] http://www.w3.org/TR/2008/WD-selectors-api-20081114/#queryselectorall
[3] http://www.w3.org/TR/2008/WD-selectors-api-20081114/#examples0

Received on Wednesday, 19 November 2008 04:30:06 UTC