[whatwg] Suggested changes to Web Forms 2.0, 2004-07-01 working draft

[Ian Hickson]

On Fri, 9 Jul 2004, fantasai wrote:
>
> You could make it a bit more explicit by
>    "alerting the user (ideally using a non-modal mechanism)"
> ->"alerting the user (ideally using a non-modal mechanism such as
>     a help balloon)"

Fair enough.


> >>>2.10. The required attribute
> >>>...
> >>>For check boxes, the required  attribute shall only be satisfied when
> >>>the checkbox is checked.
> >>>
> >>>For radio buttons, the required attribute shall only be satisfied when
> >>>exactly one of the radio buttons in that radio group is checked.
> >>
> >>53. Suggestion: Use the present tense.
> >>     *   "shall only be satisfied" --> "is satisfied only"
> >
> >
> > "shall" is an RFC 2119 term. And it _is_ present tense.
>
> It is /not/ present tense. It is future tense.

I really beg to differ. It might (in common speech) be making statements
about future events, but it is in the present tense. Just like "I am going
to the store tomorrow" is a present tense sentence making a statement
about a future event.

The word "shall" in this context is basically being used in its archaic
form, anyway (meaning "must"). I don't see anything wrong with saying that
"the required attribute shall only be satisfied when the checkbox is
checked".

-- 
Ian Hickson               U+1047E                )\._.,--....,'``.    fL
http://ln.hixie.ch/       U+263A                /,   _.. \   _\  ;`._ ,.
Things that are impossible just take longer.   `._.-(,_..'--(,_..'`-.;.'