Re: [oic] FYI: Update on ODF Validator

[Svante Schubert <svante.schubert@gmail.com>]

Am 22.09.2011 01:25, schrieb robert_weir@us.ibm.com:
> <oic@lists.oasis-open.org> wrote on 09/19/2011 06:02:08 AM:
>
>> I did a major update on the ODF validator.
>> Not only updating to latest schema, but as well doing overall 
> improvements.
>> Might be interesting for the ODF Plugfest and general test usage.
>>
>> For further details see
>> http://mail-archives.apache.org/mod_mbox/incubator-odf-dev/
>> 201109.mbox/%3C4E76FED0.5070300@gmail.com%3E
>>
>
> Cool.  Thanks for putting that update together, Svante.
>
> I wonder... How extensible is the validator?  Specifically, it there any 
> ability to add "custom rule sets" or something like that?
>
> I understand it is hard-coded for some things, like validation per the 
> schema, and logic to check other ODF requirements, like packaging 
> conventions, etc.
>
> But how hard would it be for someone (maybe in this TC) to add additional 
> rules (custom, not default rules) to check for other things?  Maybe things 
> related to interop advisories?  Maybe a rule set that checks for "portable 
> authoring practices".  And outside of this TC someone could write an 
> accessibility checking rule set.  Or a corporation might write a "house 
> style guidelines" rule set.
>
> We might learn something from Schematron and its approach to validation of 
> custom business rules.
>
Sure. It can be extended in any arbitrary way.

The easiest way of extension is to add a new schema to validate a
certain sub-/superset of ODF.
For instance, if someone could offer an ODF accessibility RelaxNG
schema, I could add it to the validator back-end and adjust the front-end.
But also customer constraints can be tested via the validator. And by
its new improvement as WAR could it be added at the customer's web
server, being used in a regression test, as the JAR could be downloaded
on-the-fly via Maven in their build environment or being used as web
service for testing (not offered yet).

Schematron is indeed one possible way to ensure validation using XSLT as
its implementation.
There are of course other ways.
ZIP constraints are for instance currently being validated using ODFDOM
and we might as well add the extraction of all metadata and its
validation to the online validator.
Especially metadata could be interesting in customer scenarios, like no
invoice without ID or date from the future, etc.

But most interesting for the OIC TC would be accessibility.
If I would have the assignment to enhance the online accessibility, I
would first study in detail what we have archived in this area
http://docs.oasis-open.org/office/v1.2/cos01/OpenDocument-v1.2-cos01-part1.html#__RefHeading__440376_826425813
(Note: There is a broken link in D.4. to the ref beyond)
http://docs.oasis-open.org/office/office-accessibility/v1.0/cs01/ODF_Accessibility_Guidelines-v1.0.html
and step on the shoulder of giants
http://www.w3.org/WAI/RC/tools/complete
to see what test tools already exists and can be reused to extend the
validator.

I fully agree with you an accessibility validation tool for ODF is
currently missing and very desirable.

Best regards,
Svante