W3C Device Description Working Group

The W3C Device Description Working Group (DDWG), operating as part of the W3C Mobile Web Initiative (MWI), was chartered to "foster the provision and access to device descriptions that can be used in support of Web-enabled applications that provide an appropriate user experience on mobile devices." Mobile devices exhibit the greatest diversity of capabilities, and therefore present the greatest challenge to content adaptation technologies. The group has published several documents, including a list of requirements for an interface to a Device Description Repository (DDR).

The group was [http://www.w3.org/News/2006#item234 rechartered] in 2006 to work in public towards the development of an API for a DDR. Early in 2007, the group launched a wiki and a blog to add to the public mailing list.

Publications

The DDWG is publishing several W3C Working Group Notes.

* A W3C WG Note that articulates what the W3C and other organizations are doing or have already done with regards to device information. This document suggests an environment in which these technologies work together to meet the goals of content adaptation. The completed document was [http://www.w3.org/TR/2007/NOTE-dd-landscape-20071031/ published] on 31 October 2007.
* A W3C WG Note describing the ecosystem surrounding creation, maintenance and use of device descriptions. The completed document was [http://www.w3.org/TR/2007/NOTE-dd-ecosystem-20071031/ published] on 31 October 2007.
* A W3C WG Note describing a set of requirements for a reference repository of device descriptions. The completed document was [http://www.w3.org/TR/2007/NOTE-DDR-requirements-20071217/ published] on 17 December 2007.
* A W3C WG Note describing a process to manage contributions to an initial core vocabulary, identification of key device properties, a formal initial core vocabulary and the identification of a maintainer for the core vocabulary. The details were contained in the Working Group Note describing the [http://www.w3.org/TR/2008/NOTE-ddr-core-vocabulary-20080414/ DDWG Core Vocabulary] published on 14 April 2008.
* A W3C WG Note defining useful grouping and structure patterns in device descriptions. This may be accompanied by an extension of the core API. This document has not yet been published.
* There is the possibility of additional publications describing implementations of the API in various languages, including Java, IDL, WSDL, C# etc.

The DDWG is also publishing a W3C Recommendation, which it is hoped will become a standard for device description repositories:

* A W3C Recommendation of the core and extended API of the Device Description Repository (DDR) using a language/implementation-neutral technology, a method for extending the repository, and a means of uniquely identifying devices and user agents. The draft was [http://www.w3.org/TR/2008/WD-DDR-Simple-API-20080404/ published] on 4 April 2008.

Much of the DDWG's material was developed in public via the [http://www.w3.org/2005/MWI/DDWG/wiki/FrontPage DDWG Wiki] and through their public mailing lists.

External links

* [http://www.w3.org/2005/MWI/DDWG/ W3C Device Description Working Group public homepage]
* Device Description Repository
* [http://www.w3.org/Mobile/ W3C Mobile Web Initiative]
* DeviceAtlas