Thoughts on "editing view" and related terms in ATAG 2.0

In attempt to further tighten up the way we talk about the different 
part of the authoring tool user interface I've worked on the definitions 
and put together a graphic that might be a useful illustration (attached).

The only part of this that is really new is that it seems to me that 
certain types of input fields in dialog boxes (e.g. edit image 
properties) will also qualify as being an "editing view" since:
1. they give a view of part of the content e.g. the value of the height 
attribute in the attached graphic
2. they are editable
3. and when I look at how we've used the term I don't think any of it is 
inappropriate to these types of controls.

Cheers,
Jan




[1] UI RELATED DEFINITIONS

(a) Editing View

An editing view is a view provided by the authoring tool that allows 
editing by the author.

REWORDING TO:

An editing view is an editing interface control that displays content 
such that the author can edit it (e.g. a WYSIWYG editing view, a text 
area for setting a markup attribute value, etc.). The editing view will 
contain a *content display* as well as *editing interface* functionality 
(e.g. cursor, information icons, etc.).


(b) Authoring Tool User Interface

The user interface of the authoring tool is the display and control 
mechanism that the author uses to to communicate with and operate the 
authoring tool software. Authoring tool interfaces may be:

- Web-Based: tools that are implemented using Web content and run within 
a user agent, or

- Non-Web-Based: tools that run directly on a operating system such as 
Windows or Mac OS (tools may include both types of interfaces).

Most authoring tool user interfaces are composed of two parts (the 
exception being high-level authoring functions which may not have a 
content display):

- Content Display: The rendering of the content to the author in the 
editing view. This might be as marked up content (e.g. in a code view) 
or as text, images, etc. (e.g. in a WYSIWYG view).

- Editing Interface: All of the parts of the user interface that are not 
the content display (e.g. authoring tool menus, button bars, pop-up 
menus, floating property bars, palettes, documentation windows, cursor, 
etc.). These parts surround and in some cases are superimposed on the 
content display.

REWORDING THE LAST 2 POINTS TO:

- Content Display: The rendering of the content within the *editing 
view*. The nature of the rendering depends on the *type of authoring 
tool functionality [link to authoring tool def'n]* (e.g. a code-level 
view displays textual mark up content, a WYSIWYG view displays rendered 
images, styled text, etc.).

- Editing Interface: All of the parts of the user interface that are not 
the content display (e.g. menus, button bars, pop-up menus, floating 
property bars, palettes, documentation windows, cursor, etc.). The 
editing views are part of the editing interface and also contain editing 
interface functionality, which in some cases are superimposed on the 
content display (e.g. highlighting misspelled words in a different color 
text).


[2] ENSURING THE TERM "EDITING VIEWS" IS USED PROPERLY:

Editing views:

A.1.1 SC2: All editing views must always include an option to display 
any available text alternatives for non-text objects in the content 
being edited.
=>OK

A.1.2 SC2: All editing views must always include an option to display 
any available synchronized alternatives for multimedia in the content 
being edited
=>we may want to be more clear that if the editor doesn't play the 
multimedia they don't have to play the equivs etc.

A.1.4: For the authoring tool user interface, ensure changes to the 
display settings of editing views do not affect the content being 
edited. [Priority 1].
=>OK

A.1.4 SC1: The author must be able to configure the display settings of 
editing views without affecting the content being edited.
=>OK

A.1.5 SC1: For author-controlled presentation (e.g. author has used a 
style class) in rendered editing views , all characteristics of the 
presentation (e.g. color, boldness, positioning, etc.) must be available 
programmatically.
=>OK

A.1.5 SC2: For authoring tool-controlled presentation in editing views 
(e.g. coloring misspelled words, identifying tag text in a code view), 
the semantic description of the presentation must be available 
programmatically.
=>OK

A.1.5 SC3: For the presentation of *EDITING INTERFACE* controls (e.g. 
dialog boxes, menus, button bars, pop-up menus in the editing view), the 
semantic description of the presentation must be available programmatically.
=>REWORDING

A.1.5 SC4: Any information IN THE EDITING INTERFACE that is conveyed by 
color (e.g. red underlining for spelling error vs. green underlining for 
grammar error) is either visually evident when color is not available 
(e.g. by the shape of the underlining) or is provided by an alternative 
version that meets Part A (e.g. spell and grammar checking utilities).
=>CAPS text added

A.2.1 SC1: The author must be able, through keyboard input alone, to 
perform any authoring task (e.g. navigating, selecting, and editing 
content within editing views, operating the user interface, installing 
and configuring the authoring tool, and accessing documentation) that is 
available through the user interface. (Note: an authoring task may have 
multiple user mechanisms, e.g. a menu item and a button bar item, at 
least one of which must satisfy this success criteria)
=>OK

A.2.1 SC3: There must be an option to enable single-key access to both 
of the following functionalities: (a) move content focus to the next 
enabled control in user interface (e.g. using "tab" key), and
(b) navigate forward and backward within editing views (e.g. using 
"arrow" keys).
=>OK

A.2.5 For the authoring tool user interface, ensure that editing views 
enable the author to navigate the structure and perform structure-based 
edits. [Priority 2]
=>OK







-- 
Jan Richards, M.Sc.
User Interface Design Specialist
Adaptive Technology Resource Centre (ATRC)
Faculty of Information Studies
University of Toronto

   Email: jan.richards@utoronto.ca
   Web:   http://jan.atrc.utoronto.ca
   Phone: 416-946-7060
   Fax:   416-971-2896