Summary of proposed changes to orientation checkpoints.

Hello,

At the 4 August teleconference [1], we completed (for now)
our discussion and attempted reduction of checkpoints in
guideline 9 of the 16 July draft [2] related to orientation.

To complete my action items related to orientation, I'd
like to summarize all related proposals and includes some
new ones here.

Note: With this proposal, I believe 
the number of checkpoints is reduced by 16 with 
respect to the 16 July draft. Good work Group!

A) Change Guideline 10 to read "Notify the user of document
   or view changes". Guideline 10 will be about orienting the
   user after dynamic changes to the browsing context. Guideline
   9 will be about more static information that helps orient the
   user.

B) Proposed checkpoint on natural language for Guideline 7:

    Render content according to natural language changes
    identified by markup. For unsupported natural languages, 
    notify the user of the change when configured to do so.

   {This checkpoint is proposed in [5] (slightly different
    wording here) and would replace 7.3 and 9.9 in [2]}


C) Proposed checkpoints for Guideline 9. Each checkpoint is followed
   by a comment about its origin.

C.i) View information

9.1 Provide a mechanism for highlighting and identifying 
    (through a standard interface where available) 
    the current view, selection, and focus. [Priority 1].
        NOTE: Recall that a frame is one type of view.
    {This was resolved in [4]. This subsumes 9.7 from [2]}

9.2 For dependent user agents. Provide the user with 
    information about the number of viewports. [Priority 2] 
    {Was 9.4 in [2]}

C.ii) Document structure

9.3 For dependent user agents. Allow the user to view a 
    document outline constructed from its structural 
    elements (e.g., from header and list elements). [Priority 2] 
    {Was 9.8 in [2]}

9.4 Allow the user to know whether following a link will involve a fee.
   [Priority 2].
      NOTE: This information may be provided through the standard user
      interface provided the interface is accessible. Thus, any prompt
      asking the user to confirm payment must be accessible.
   {Proposed in [6]. Subsumes 9.10 and 9.11.}

C.iii) Document content

9.5 Make available information about a link that will enable the
    user to decide whether to follow the link.  [Priority 3]
     NOTE: Useful information includes: whether the link has already
          been visited, whether it leads to a different document, and
          what is the expected natural language of the link target.
   {Proposed in [6], Subsumes 9.10, 9.11, 9.16, and 9.17}

9.6 Make available the dimensions of a chosen table. [Priority 3] 
   {9.20 in [2]}

9.7 For dependent user agents. Provide access to header 
    information for a table cell selected by the user. [Priority 1] 
   {9.21 in [2]}

9.8 Provide the user with access to any label explicitly 
    associated with a form control. [Priority 2] 
   {9.24 in [2]}

9.9 Make available information about an element's
    context within a document (e.g., Nth link of M links,
    Header 3.4, list item 4.5 of two lists, third table and
    has dimensions RxC, row R column C for currently 
    selected cell, etc.).
    {Proposed in [1].   
     Subsumes 9.10, 9.12, 9.13, 9.15, 9.19, 9.20, 9.22, 9.23 in [2].}

C.iv) Consistency

9.10 Maintain consistent user agent behavior and default 
     configurations between software releases. Consistency 
     is less important than accessibility and adoption of 
     system conventions. [Priority 3] 
   {9.25 in [2]}

D) Proposed changes for Guideline 10. Each checkpoint is followed
   by a comment about its origin.

Add the following to current 10.1 - 10.5 (integrating them where 
appropriate in the list):

10.6 Ensure that when the selection or focus changes, it is in 
     the viewport after the change. [Priority 2] 
     {Was 9.5 and 9.6 in [2]. Decision in [1] to merge them 
      since other checkpoints on view, selection, focus also merged
      to new 9.1.}

10.7 Make available what portion of the document has loaded. [Priority
3] 
     {Was 9.14 in [2].}

10.8 Make available what portion of the document has been viewed 
     [Priority 3]
     NOTE: What has been viewed may be considered based on focus
position,
      selection position, or viewport position depending on how the
      user has been browsing.
    {Proposed in [1].}


NOTE: There are likely to be further reductions after we consider
      Gregory's (upcoming) proposal for an all-encompassing 
      checkpoint about configuration (refer to action item in [1]).

 - Ian

[1] 4 August minutes:
    http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-ua/1999JulSep/0078.html
[2] http://www.w3.org/WAI/UA/WAI-USERAGENT-19990716/
[3] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-ua/1999JulSep/0036.html
[4] 28 July minutes:
    http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-ua/1999JulSep/0056.html
[5] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-ua/1999JulSep/0080.html 
[6] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-ua/1999JulSep/0081.html
-- 
Ian Jacobs (jacobs@w3.org)   http://www.w3.org/People/Jacobs
Tel/Fax:                     +1 212 684-1814

Received on Thursday, 5 August 1999 17:37:43 UTC