Checkpoint 5.2

Dear Group,

I respectfully request some clarification on WCAG 1.0 Checkpoint 5.2.

The examples in the Techniques document are very good.  URL:
<http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10-HTML-TECHS/#identifying-table-rows-columns>

I am left with a nagging question however:  Do the first two examples (cups
of coffee per senator) warrant use of the attributes being demonstrated?
That is, do ALL non-trivial data  tables have at least two logical levels?

It seems to me that ANY data table with more than one column (and row) is at
least as complex as the cups of coffee per senators example.  Is the point
of those examples just to demonstrate the HTML mechanics of using attributes
like ID and HEADER or is it ALSO providing an example of a "data table with
two logical levels"?  If the latter, could someone provide me an example of
a "data table with only one logical level"?  Assuming that such examples are
fairly trivial (like the cups of coffee per senator, but with only one
senator listed) let me also suggest that this checkpoint would be MUCH more
understandable if it the disclaimer phrase "that have two or more logical
levels of row or column headers" were deleted.  (Actually, I am hoping that
I am reading 5.2 wrong and that simple straightforward two dimensional
tables are okay so long as TD and TH are used appropriately.

Thanks for your time.
If I missed the a clarification in the archives, my apologies, please point
me in the right direction.
Bruce Bailey
US Dept of Education

Received on Friday, 29 December 2000 14:03:41 UTC