[web-annotation] Selecting more than text

BigBlueHat has just created a new issue for 
https://github.com/w3c/web-annotation:

== Selecting more than text ==
Right now, we specify 5 
[selectors](http://w3c.github.io/web-annotation/model/wd/#selectors):
 - 
[FragmentSelector](http://w3c.github.io/web-annotation/model/wd/#fragment-selector)
 - 
[TextQuoteSelector](http://w3c.github.io/web-annotation/model/wd/#text-quote-selector)
 - 
[TextPositionSelector](http://w3c.github.io/web-annotation/model/wd/#text-position-selector)
 - 
[DataPositionSelector](http://w3c.github.io/web-annotation/model/wd/#data-position-selector)
 - 
[SVGSelector](http://w3c.github.io/web-annotation/model/wd/#svg-selector)

@tkanai points out in 
https://github.com/w3c/web-annotation/issues/95#issuecomment-153966728
 that there is not currently a way to include an `<img>` tag (and it's
 representative visual output) within the selection.

>From the comment mentioned above:
> Could you tell me how to select "I (love)" words, or both "I" and 
the heart mark Image, from the html text below with the XPathSelector?
 I also would like to make sure how to select "I" only.
`<p>I <img src="love.png" /> New York</p>`

> As I frequently encounter such paragraphs while I'm reading Japanese
 eBooks, although images are "Kanji" characters, I am looking for an 
appropriate selector which can be applicable for non-normalized HTML 
documents.

Here is an example of such text which uses images (and `<ruby>` 
markup, fwiw) for presenting Kanji characters to the reader:
http://www.aozora.gr.jp/cards/000879/files/127_15260.html

Here's an annotation made with Hypothes.is that shows the 
inefficiencies of the currently specified `Text*Selector` selectors:
https://hypothes.is/a/kjbFiUKHSKaa1diyMQx1qQ
and as JSON
https://hypothes.is/api/annotations/kjbFiUKHSKaa1diyMQx1qQ

Because the image content is not in the "normalized" markup, it can't 
be selected.

It *may* be possible to use an XPointer FragmentSelector, but that 
seems dubious given the lack of implementations and dearth of 
knowledge around it (sadly :cry:).

We need to consider this use case when specifying new selectors which 
are more "node focused" such as XPath and CSS based selectors--as they
 present an opportunity to support this use case directly...or at 
least lay the foundation...one hopes.

See https://github.com/w3c/web-annotation/issues/107

Received on Tuesday, 10 November 2015 21:29:52 UTC