[whatwg] Timed tracks for <video>

[Ian Hickson]

On Thu, 22 Jul 2010, Jonas Sicking wrote:
>
> Based on your email, this sounds like a very interesting format.
> However I can't really be certain due to two issues:
> 
> 1. Reviewing the format by reading the parsing specification is
> basically impossible. Basically requires comming up with random
> inputs, stepping through the specification for each input, until I see
> patterns in the output. This will take more time than I have
> available. It's also likely that I'll miss several patterns.
> 2. In order to ensure that I've read all the parts related to WebSRT I
> need to read the full HTML spec. While this is something I'm in the
> process of doing, it'll probably take me months before I'm done.
> 
> In short, I'd love to see WebSRT be written as a separate spec, with
> sections (non-normative if needed) that contain more human readable
> information about the format.

The WebSRT stuff itself is pretty modular, it's just two sections:

   http://www.whatwg.org/specs/web-apps/current-work/complete/video.html#websrt-0
   http://www.whatwg.org/specs/web-apps/current-work/complete/rendering.html#timed-tracks-0

The lack of introductory material and examples is absolutely a problem and 
I have every intention of adding much such material in the near future. I 
apologise for not having it already written; I generally delay writing the 
introductory material until after zcorpan, hsivonen, jgraham, Philip`, 
annevk, and others have looked at the spec, so that I don't have to 
rewrite the introductory material several times as it tracks the changes 
resulting from the major bugs they find. :-)

In the meantime, the main place to start right now is the syntax of the 
WebSRT file, which is defined separate from the parser:

   http://www.whatwg.org/specs/web-apps/current-work/complete/video.html#syntax-0

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