[Wheat-developer] comments on template attributes syntax

[Mark L. <ma...@gl...>]

Folks -

I'm looking for some comments on
	http://www.wheatfarm.org/wiki/TinyTemplateAttributes
I'm leaning toward the alternate proposal (the one modeled on Nevow), 
with both short-cuts.

I think it is time to change the attribute naming syntax in Tiny 
Template: I've implemented some of the ideas about testing templates 
(see: http://www.wheatfarm.org/wiki/TinyTemplateUnit), and it isn't 
worth the complications to make them support the current method of 
handling attributes.

By the way, I'm proceeding implementing the CardFile application and 
using it as a driving customer story for implementing changes to the 
system.  Right now I'm thwarted because writing test cases for 
generated pages is such a tedious and error prone affair.  I really 
think getting this template test unit stuff correct will make writing 
applications with proper tests much easier both now and in the future.

Also, having surveyed what's written out there about testing HTML/HTTP 
applications, I have to say that I'm generally underwhelmed.  Everyone 
seems to say that of course you should do it, then throws their hands 
up and says "oh well, the best we can do is lots of string matches".  
At best some people do lots of XPath or DOM based tests.  They all 
acknowledge how brittle it all is, and simply shrug.  Or those suggest 
that the final template layer be very thin and not tested.  I think we 
have the opportunity to do something much better here.

	- Mark