ISSUE-37: Method naming

Method naming

State:
CLOSED
Product:
usability for Web Crypto API
Raised by:
Ryan Sleevi
Opened on:
2012-08-29
Description:
All of the methods on the Crypto interface follow the "createFoo" form, such as createEncrypter or createKeyDeriver.

When originally specified, the verb was associated with the action that would be performed, such as "encrypt" or "decrypt". As a result of ACTION-14, it was suggested this be renamed to "createEncrypter" et all, to indicate that the Crypto interface method did not itself perform the encryption.

However, this suffers from the following concern:
1) Method names are noticeably longer, by virtue of needing to have a "create" prefix and an "er" suffix
2) With the exception of KeyStorage and getRandomValues, all methods available on window.crypto are of the factory form "createFoo"
3) There are localization issues regarding Encryptor/Encrypter and Decrypter/Decryptor, both of which are valid spellings and may vary by locality.
Related Actions Items:
Related emails:
  1. [minutes] Re: W3C Web Crypto WG - monday 4th of march (from wseltzer@w3.org on 2013-03-04)
  2. Re: W3C Web Crypto WG - agenda for our call on monday 4th of march @ 20:00 UTC (today) (from rbarnes@bbn.com on 2013-03-04)
  3. Re: W3C Web Crypto WG - agenda for our call on monday 4th of march @ 20:00 UTC (today) (from watsonm@netflix.com on 2013-03-04)
  4. Re: ISSUE-37 Fwd: [jose] #7: Algorithm identifiers/parameters incompatible with WebCrypto (from watsonm@netflix.com on 2013-03-04)
  5. Re: W3C Web Crypto WG - agenda for our call on monday 4th of march @ 20:00 UTC (today) (from hhalpin@w3.org on 2013-03-04)
  6. Re: ISSUE-37 Fwd: [jose] #7: Algorithm identifiers/parameters incompatible with WebCrypto (from rbarnes@bbn.com on 2013-03-04)
  7. Re: W3C Web Crypto WG - agenda for our call on monday 4th of march @ 20:00 UTC (today) (from hhalpin@w3.org on 2013-03-04)
  8. Re: ISSUE-37 Fwd: [jose] #7: Algorithm identifiers/parameters incompatible with WebCrypto (from sleevi@google.com on 2013-03-04)
  9. RE: W3C Web Crypto WG - agenda for our call on monday 4th of march @ 20:00 UTC (today) (from Virginie.GALINDO@gemalto.com on 2013-03-04)
  10. Re: W3C Web Crypto WG - agenda for our call on monday 4th of march @ 20:00 UTC (today) (from hhalpin@w3.org on 2013-03-04)
  11. ISSUE-37 Fwd: [jose] #7: Algorithm identifiers/parameters incompatible with WebCrypto (from hhalpin@w3.org on 2013-03-04)
  12. W3C Web Crypto WG - agenda for our call on monday 4th of march @ 20:00 UTC (today) (from Virginie.GALINDO@gemalto.com on 2013-03-04)
  13. Re: W3C Web Crypto WG - agenda for our call today @ 20:00 UTC (from watsonm@netflix.com on 2013-02-04)
  14. RE: W3C Web Crypto WG - agenda for our call today @ 20:00 UTC (from Asad.Ali@gemalto.com on 2013-02-04)
  15. Re: W3C Web Crypto WG - agenda for our call today @ 20:00 UTC (from S.Durbha@cablelabs.com on 2013-02-04)
  16. W3C Web Crypto WG - agenda for our call today @ 20:00 UTC (from Virginie.GALINDO@gemalto.com on 2013-02-04)
  17. PROPOSAL: Close ISSUE-37 - Method Naming (from sleevi@google.com on 2013-01-31)
  18. Re: Syntax idea: Constructors (from rbarnes@bbn.com on 2012-12-11)
  19. Re: Syntax idea: Constructors (from sleevi@google.com on 2012-12-11)
  20. Re: Support for ECB (from sleevi@google.com on 2012-09-10)
  21. RE: New Editor's Draft Published (from karen.lu@gemalto.com on 2012-09-04)
  22. RE: crypto-ISSUE-37: Method naming [Web Cryptography API] (from Vijay.Bharadwaj@microsoft.com on 2012-09-04)
  23. New Editor's Draft Published (from sleevi@google.com on 2012-08-31)
  24. Web Crypto WG - ACTION-14 associated with ISSUE-37 (from Virginie.GALINDO@gemalto.com on 2012-08-31)
  25. Re: crypto-ISSUE-37: Method naming [Web Cryptography API] (from wtc@google.com on 2012-08-30)
  26. Re: crypto-ISSUE-37: Method naming [Web Cryptography API] (from sleevi@google.com on 2012-08-29)
  27. Re: crypto-ISSUE-37: Method naming [Web Cryptography API] (from wtc@google.com on 2012-08-29)
  28. crypto-ISSUE-37: Method naming [Web Cryptography API] (from sysbot+tracker@w3.org on 2012-08-29)
  29. Re: crypto-ISSUE-37: Method naming [Web Cryptography API] (from sleevi@google.com on 2012-08-28)

Related notes:

As decided during our call on 4th of March, issue is closed.
http://www.w3.org/2013/03/04-crypto-minutes.html

Virginie GALINDO, 4 Apr 2013, 09:25:49

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