Bug 109793 – Replace 'DOMObject' with 'any' in WebKit IDL

• Component: WebCore JavaScript
• Status: RESOLVED FIXED

[Kentaro Hara]

In the Web IDL spec, there is no type named 'DOMObject'. It should be 'any'. We should replace all 'DOMObject's in WebKit IDLs with 'any's.

[Kentaro Hara]

Created attachment 188283 [details]
Patch

[Joseph Pecoraro]

When it was DOMObject it sounded like "this needs to be some kind of object".
Now "any" sounds like "hey this could be anything. A number. An object. A string. Anything!".

To me this hurts clarity / readability. Unless "any" really does mean any type, including primitives like numbers?

[Kentaro Hara]

(In reply to comment #2)
> When it was DOMObject it sounded like "this needs to be some kind of object".
> Now "any" sounds like "hey this could be anything. A number. An object. A string. Anything!".

The Web IDL spec says that we should call it "any": http://www.w3.org/TR/WebIDL/#idl-types

> Unless "any" really does mean any type, including primitives like numbers?

"any" does mean any type. Internally it is implemented as a ScriptValue, which can store any JavaScript value.

In the WebKit IDL files, "any" and "DOMObject" have been used interchangeably. Given that it can handle any type, "any" would be a better name than "DOMObject".

[Adam Barth]

@joepeck: Our trajectory here is to to match WebIDL.  If you have comments about the readability of WebIDL, you might want to bring that up with the WebApps working group.

[WebKit Review Bot]

Comment on attachment 188283 [details]
Patch

Clearing flags on attachment: 188283

Committed r142935: <http://trac.webkit.org/changeset/142935>

[WebKit Review Bot]

All reviewed patches have been landed.  Closing bug.