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SUMMARY The <param> child element of the <object> element should expose any changes made in the DOM to the resource referenced by the <object> element. RATIONALE Currently, the HTML5 spec only describes the behavior of the <param> element when the referenced object is being instantiated. Once the object is initialized, changes in the parameters, including changes to the values, or the insertion or removal of new <param> elements, no longer have any effect. As a consequence, authors trying to make dynamic changes to referenced content are inconvenienced, and the behavior is not intuitive. DETAILS For improved reusability of referenced content, including SVG components as described in the SVG Parameters specification [1], the SVG WG requests that the HTML5 spec change that that when parameters are changed, added, or deleted, the updated values are passed along to the referenced content, so they can (if the referenced document type permits) be reflected automatically in that content. [1] http://www.w3.org/TR/SVGParam/ IMPACT POSITIVE EFFECTS Allows a more dynamic, intuitive, useful, and seamless reuse of SVG components, such as infographics, logos, and custom controls. NEGATIVE EFFECTS Not backwards compatible with older browsers, but is very unlikely to have any negative effect on existing content, nor to impose a particular implementation or performance burden. CONFORMANCE CLASS CHANGES None. RISKS See Negative Effects.
Note that for plugins we are largely constrained by the plugin APIs that various UAs are using. In particular NPAPI, which is a very popular API, only allows specifying parameters during plugin instantiation. I don't know what the situation is for the ActiveX API used by IE is, but I wouldn't be surprised if the situation is the same there.
I'll update the spec to be clear that if the underlying plugin technology supports it, then it should be done, but there's not much we can do beyond that.
There might be some way to use mutation events listeners to call methods on the plug-in to notify the plug-in (npapi for example) that something has changed. The plug-in might even be able to set the listeners itself.
EDITOR'S RESPONSE: This is an Editor's Response to your comment. If you are satisfied with this response, please change the state of this bug to CLOSED. If you have additional information and would like the editor to reconsider, please reopen this bug. If you would like to escalate the issue to the full HTML Working Group, please add the TrackerRequest keyword to this bug, and suggest title and text for the tracker issue; or you may create a tracker issue yourself, if you are able to do so. For more details, see this document: http://dev.w3.org/html5/decision-policy/decision-policy.html Status: Accepted Change Description: see diff given below Rationale: see comment 2.
Checked in as WHATWG revision r5625. Check-in comment: Define that <param> is dynamic (where the API supports that). http://html5.org/tools/web-apps-tracker?from=5624&to=5625