Re: PF Response: @Summary

Jim Jewett wrote:
> On Mon, Jul 6, 2009 at 5:25 AM, Joshue O Connor<joshue.oconnor@cfit.ie> wrote:
> 
>>> What information should the summary contain that should *not* be in
>>> the headers or the caption?
> 
>> The @summary should provide an overview of the relationships between
>> headers and data cells in complex tables. This would vary on a case by
>> case basis.
> 
> I feel like a fifth-grader endlessly repeating "I don't get it.",
> which is frustrating to the teacher as well.
> 
> But I don't get it.  Could you provide some more examples of specific
> tables and an appropriate summary?

Ok, if you look at the following complex table at Gez Lemons site, Juicy
Studio. [1]

For a suitable @summary overview you could say something like:

<table summary="A complex table of two halves. Firstly, there are 7
columns with the headings Child Investment, Type, Status, Allocation,
Total Cost of Ownership, Return on Investment, Net Present Value, with
their corresponding values in rows beneath them. The table is then
followed by a column called Property that has two sections of
sub-headings of Budgeted, Actual and Forecasted with their corresponding
running cost values for three weekly periods starting from the 12th of
December 2005 to the 26th">.

This @summary information will then help a blind screen reader user
navigate the table as it is announced as soon as the table receives
focus. This will help the user better understand how the various
headings and sections relate to each other and improve the user
experience for a user of Assistive Technology, in particular is the
table is also marked up correctly. Please note that this table is a real
world example of a complex data table found in the wild. It is therefore
and ecologically valid example.

Cheers

Josh


[1} http://juicystudio.com/wcag/tables/complexdatatable.html

Received on Monday, 6 July 2009 17:51:11 UTC