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Bug 26275 - Make specification more precise
Summary: Make specification more precise
Status: RESOLVED FIXED
Alias: None
Product: Browser Test/Tools WG
Classification: Unclassified
Component: WebDriver (show other bugs)
Version: unspecified
Hardware: PC Linux
: P2 normal
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: Browser Testing and Tools WG
QA Contact: Browser Testing and Tools WG
URL:
Whiteboard:
Keywords:
: 24793 (view as bug list)
Depends on:
Blocks: 20860
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Reported: 2014-07-07 10:42 UTC by James Graham
Modified: 2016-09-19 15:45 UTC (History)
3 users (show)

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Description James Graham 2014-07-07 10:42:12 UTC
This is a sort of meta-bug.

The current spec is a bit confused in a number of ways. It defines everything in terms of the non-normative client API. It also uses WebIDL to try and define the message format. In addition the description of the commands is very imprecise so it's pretty hard to tell what, exactly, the remote end is supposed to do when it receives a command. Several things need to be changed in order to fix this:

* Clearly define the message format in terms of something that isn't WebIDL

* Define the deserialisation of messages

* Define how values are extracted from the messages

* Define a bunch of terms and small algorithms that are reused throughout the spec

* Define some code that matches on the command and sends the message to the right sub-algorithm

* Define a precise algorithm for each part of the spec, using references to other specs where necessary to ensure that the behaviour is well defined.

Example of this last style for the "get" command: https://pastebin.mozilla.org/5528630

* Write a testsuite that is (partially) against the raw JSON protocol so that the fine details can be tested.
Comment 1 David Burns :automatedtester 2014-07-16 14:46:59 UTC
*** Bug 24793 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Comment 2 Andreas Tolfsen 2016-09-19 15:45:23 UTC
I think most of this is done.  Because the bug is overly general, I’m going to go ahead and close this.