Allow comments on interfaces

[dirkschulze]

This allows comments to be added to interfaces. This recovers the functionality of the old respec tool for commenting.

[marcoscaceres]

Is this for adding comments to WebIDL? (i.e., this would show up in the generated WebIDL?)

[darobin]

This was conflicting so I closed it but applied on my end. Thanks!

[marcoscaceres]

Ok, but if this going to allow people to create non-conforming WebIDL... not so good, eh?

[dirkschulze]

It is necessary for being compatible with existing specification drafts using the old respec.js tool. I wonder why I can not fine it in WebIDL spec either. I need to talk with Cameron. All implementations support comments. A reason for a formal objection to WebIDL ;)

[dirkschulze]

Ok, I was about to write a mail to the WG, but found this in the grammar:

whitespace = [\t\n\r ]+|[\t\n\r ]((//.|/._?_/)[\t\n\r ])+

""
… both whitespace and comments, are ignored while parsing.
""

So commenting is allowed. Even comments with /* .. */ seem to be allowed.

[darobin]

Yes, of course comments are allowed. I'm not sure what @marcoscaceres was thinking about, I suspect there's a misunderstanding.

@dirkschulze I'm curious about the old ReSpec tool you mention that supported comments. Are you thinking of ReSpec.pm?

[dirkschulze]

I was thinking of http://dev.w3.org/2009/dap/ReSpec.js/js/respec.js

That is the one used for:
https://dvcs.w3.org/hg/FXTF/raw-file/default/web-anim/index.html
https://dvcs.w3.org/hg/FXTF/raw-file/default/matrix/index.html

[marcoscaceres]

Sorry. Clearly, I'm a dumb ass. I didn't think comments were allowed for some reason.

[darobin]

@dirkschulze Funny, that's not an official version but a fork with some added features. I'd never heard of it before :)

[dirkschulze]

@darobin You used it in http://dev.w3.org/2009/dap/device/ . Did you write this clone?

[darobin]

No, that page uses the canonical ReSpec v1. The FXTF one you point to is using something else!

[dirkschulze]

@darobin You are right. The Web-Animations guys took the spec from the domain originally. Changes were done by Brian Birtles: https://dvcs.w3.org/hg/FXTF/log/f0bee7474714/web-anim/respec/respec.js

Most likely just Web-Animations and Transformation Matrix uses comments, Constructor references and NamedConstructor references yet. I'll speak with Brian to back-port the necessary changes to GitHub.