Gadget spec proposed change - perform substitution in screenshot/thumbnail

[Paul Lindner]

The current Gadget spec states that:

4. Perform substitutions of each hangman expansion in the following fields:

a. Module.ModulePrefs@title, Module.ModulePrefs@title_url,
Module.ModulePrefs@description, Module.Content@href, Module.Content

Can we please add Module.ModulePrefs@thumbnail and
Module.ModulePrefs@screenshot to this list?

This will allow internationalization of screenshots and thumbnails.

Regards
Paul

--
Paul Lindner
hi5 Architect
plin...@hi5.com

[Kevin Brown]

Here is the full list of substitutions performed by igoogle / gmodules.com today:

__MSG_ only:
ModulePrefs:
 - directory_title
 - author
 - author_email
 - screenshot
 - thumbnail

UserPref:
 - display_name
 - default_value

UserPref.EnumValue:
 - display_value

All 4 substitutions (MSG, BIDI, MODULE, and UP):

ModulePrefs:
 - title
 - title_url

Content:
 - href
 - CDATA

I propose that the spec be amended to one of the following:

a. Match igoogle's behavior

b. Simplify the issue and allow all substitutions to be performed on all ModulePrefs attributes, the Content body, Content@href, UserPref@display_name, UserPref@default_value, and UserPref.EnumValue@display_value (i.e. anything that gets displayed to users).

Both are an expansion of scope as defined in the spec today, and as such are backwards compatible (modulo some edge case of an existing gadget that had a __UP_ substitution mentioned in a message bundle that isn't being substituted at present.)

Somewhat related, but separate from this main issue, is that the presence of __UP hangman variables in the content body makes certain optimizations (such as full iframe / page caching) very difficult. They also introduce a security concern if values aren't properly escaped by the server before substituting. Deprecating support for this would be difficult since many developers have been using it in the past, but we might want to consider discouraging their use (instead relying on programmatic access via gadgets.Prefs and / or open social app data as appropriate) going forward.

--
~Kevin

[Cassie]

Based on Kevin's response I think that the following spec modification is sufficient:

5. Perform substitutions of each hangman expansion on all fields which get displayed to users. This results in the following fields:
   a. All Module.ModulePrefs attributes, Module.Content@href, Module.Content, UserPref@display_name, UserPref@default_value, and UserPref.EnumValue@display_value.
 
Please let me know if there are any problems with this.
Thanks!

- Cassie

[Kevin Brown]

On Mon, Mar 31, 2008 at 8:57 AM, Cassie <do...@google.com> wrote:

Based on Kevin's response I think that the following spec modification is sufficient:

5. Perform substitutions of each hangman expansion on all fields which get displayed to users. This results in the following fields:
   a. All Module.ModulePrefs attributes, Module.Content@href, Module.Content, UserPref@display_name, UserPref@default_value, and UserPref.EnumValue@display_value.

As has been mentioned elsewhere, it's not necessarily sufficient because it leaves a lot of attributes unaccounted for, such as Icons and ModulePrefs attributes. I lean towards the second option being the better way going forward.

--
~Kevin

[Cassie]

I didn't quite understand that Kevin. You said you are leaning towards the "second option". What option is that? I only presented one option which I tried to make equivalent to your "b" option that you mailed out.

The b option said "all fields which get displayed to users". I added that text and enumerated the current fields that would currently be affected. It states "all Module.ModulePrefs attributes" which covers your second concern. So, if you can tell me how to correctly describe Icons then I think it should be good to go.

Please let me know if I missed an option.
Thanks.

- Cassie

[Kevin Brown]

On Tue, Apr 1, 2008 at 4:04 AM, Cassie <do...@google.com> wrote:

I didn't quite understand that Kevin. You said you are leaning towards the "second option". What option is that? I only presented one option which I tried to make equivalent to your "b" option that you mailed out.

The b option said "all fields which get displayed to users". I added that text and enumerated the current fields that would currently be affected. It states "all Module.ModulePrefs attributes" which covers your second concern. So, if you can tell me how to correctly describe Icons then I think it should be good to go.

Yes -- that's all *current* fields (except for Icons and Preloads). I want an explicit clause covering new attributes as well.

--
~Kevin

[Cassie]

How about this:

5. Perform substitutions of each hangman expansion on all fields which get displayed to users. This currently includes, but is not limited to, the following fields:

   a. All Module.ModulePrefs attributes, Module.Content@href, Module.Content, UserPref@display_name, UserPref@default_value, and UserPref.EnumValue@display

_value.

Or would you like it even more strongly worded?

- Cassie

[Kevin Brown]

On Tue, Apr 1, 2008 at 4:02 PM, Cassie <do...@google.com> wrote:

How about this:

5. Perform substitutions of each hangman expansion on all fields which get displayed to users. This currently includes, but is not limited to, the following fields:

   a. All Module.ModulePrefs attributes, Module.Content@href, Module.Content, UserPref@display_name, UserPref@default_value, and UserPref.EnumValue@display

_value.

Or would you like it even more strongly worded?

That's probably fine for now.
 

--
~Kevin

[Cassie]

This is an old thread which has +1s from Kevin and Paul.
Will some more people jump in here?

Thanks.

- Cassie

[Zhen Wang]

+1

[Arne Roomann-Kurrik]

+1

--
OpenSocial IRC - irc://irc.freenode.net/opensocial

[Cassie]

+1

Okay, this one is approved.

- Cassie