Rename "context" to "root node" or "DOM root node" [#1490296]

In all my conversations with people, this word seems to be this most unfamiliar, non-intuitive aspect of this project.

Choosing a more XML oriented term would go a long way toward helping people transition from any previous experience with XML into using this project. In light of this, I think "parent node" is a wise choice.

I believe "base query" would reach a wider audience, but either way, together with a improved terminology and help text, a lot of confusion can be avoided.

Comments

Comment #1

twistor CreditAttribution: twistor commented 19 March 2012 at 23:56

Initial thoughts:

I never liked context, it comes directly from the function param in PHP where it's used. "Parent node" is odd to me, it makes it sound like we're creating node references, but I get it. "Base query" is ok, but then again, I've thought about moving away from the term query to selector as well.

What do we use in Views XML Backend? I think it's row query which makes a lot of sense in that case.

Comment #2

mitchell CreditAttribution: mitchell commented 20 March 2012 at 13:49

Title:

Rename "context" to "parent node" or "base query"

» Rename "context" to "root node" or "DOM root node"

I see what you mean on the conflicts with those terms. "DOM root node" or just "root node" is a better fit with respect to XML's spec and avoiding Drupal terminology collisions.

Comment #3

galundin CreditAttribution: galundin commented 1 April 2012 at 08:47

I found this issue while trying to figure out what "context" means in this, um, context -- so it's a good discussion to have. Your suggestions helped me understand, and the FAQ clarified it.

I like the idea of using the term "selector" instead of "query". "Node" would be very confusing and I would avoid it as much as possible. Even "DOM root node" is misleading. "Context" makes sense now, I just didn't understand the need for an additional selector because I generally work with self-contained selectors. The example given in the Basic configuration tutorial demonstrated a good use case.

To me, the most intuitive term for "context" would be "base selector". It would also be helpful to expand upon the description that appears below the input box. The keyword "relative" might have done it for me.