- From: Tab Atkins Jr. <jackalmage@gmail.com>
- Date: Wed, 4 Aug 2010 14:56:34 -0700
- To: Sam Ruby <rubys@intertwingly.net>
- Cc: "public-html@w3.org WG" <public-html@w3.org>
Issue 92 Counter Proposal ========================= Summary ------- The current text in the spec is adequate, but misplaced. The example of a confusing table is appropriate and useful to illustrate good ways to explain the structure of such tables (as they do exist in real life, and can't always be rearranged into a more intuitive table), but it is distracting in its current location, as it is only tangentially related to the <table> element itself. It should be moved to a separate section of the spec, near the <table> element section. Rationale --------- The example table code given in the original Change Proposal misses the point of this section of text; it is not meant to illustrate the structure of a table, but rather to illustrate a *confusing* table that may be difficult to automatically deduce the correct heading/cell relationships out of. Such tables exist and will be written in the future, as it is not always possible to write a table with a more intuitive structure. Thus, authors should be given guidance for how to make these types of tables less confusing, particularly to users who don't have the ability to quickly gather structural information about the table visually. The current change proposal attempts to replace this section with a simple, clear table, which defeats the purpose of this section. A well- constructed table with well-placed header cells doesn't generally need any additional explanation to be understood; the structure is clear from a trivial examination, and many tools offer simple ways to query such tables for a similarly trivial non-visual examination. While such an explanation of the structure of a simple table may be useful on its own, it is not appropriate as a replacement for the section in question. Details ------- Move the text, starting with "There are a variety of ways..." and ending just before "The summary attribute on table elements...", from its current location to a new subsection placed after the current "4.9.13 Examples" section. In its place, at the end of the previous paragraph, place a sentence explaining that guidance for this case can be found in the new section, with a link to that section. Positive Effects ---------------- * This guidance about ways to explain the structure of a confusing table is maintained. * A large and somewhat tangential author-guidance section is no longer placed in the middle of the section about the <table> element itself, but rather has a dedicated section of its own, thus making the <table> element section more focused and giving the author-guidance section a more prominent location by itself. Negative Effects ---------------- Now that the advice is in a somewhat more remote section of the spec, it is possible that less authors will see it. Costs ----- Minimal editing time to rearrange the content. ~TJ
Received on Wednesday, 4 August 2010 21:57:26 UTC