[whatwg] New HTML5 spec-editing tools released

[Manu Sporny]

The newest version of the microsection spec-editing tools have been made
available:

http://wiki.github.com/html5/spec

These tools, microsplit and microjoin, are capable of:

* Taking Ian's latest HTML5 spec as an input document and splitting it
  up into microsections.
* Re-mixing, removing and adding microsections specified from another
  source (for example: RDFa, John Foliot's summary suggestions, etc.)
* Producing one or more output specifications (such as Ian's HTML5 spec,
  HTML5-rdfa, HTML5-johnfoliot-summary, etc.)

This process:

* Does not impact Ian's current editing workflow.
* Empowers additional editors to modify the HTML5 specification without
  stomping on each other's changes.
* Enables alternate HTML5 specifications to be authored while
  automatically updating the alternates with Ian's spec changes.
* Is currently used to produce the HTML5+RDFa specification.
* Provides a mechanism that can be used to generate specification
  language that is specific, and that can be used to form consensus
  around the HTML5 specification at the W3C.
* Enables thoughtful and well-mannered dissent.

There is even a pretty picture that describes the workflow:

http://wiki.github.com/html5/spec

Anyone is free to clone the repository, use the tools, generate
remixed/updated/altered specifications and propose them as alternatives.

I am seeking thoughts and suggestions about these tools - how they might
help or hinder, as well as improvements that should be considered.

-- manu

-- 
Manu Sporny
President/CEO - Digital Bazaar, Inc.
blog: Bitmunk 3.1 Released - Browser-based P2P Commerce
http://blog.digitalbazaar.com/2009/06/29/browser-based-p2p-commerce/