Addendum to mobileOK Best Practices

W3C Working Group Note 2 October 2008

This version:
http://www.w3.org/2005/MWI/BPWG/Group/TaskForces/mobileOKPro/drafts/ED-mobileOK-pro10-tests-20080731
Latest version:
http://www.w3.org/2005/MWI/BPWG/Group/TaskForces/mobileOKPro/drafts/latest
Previous version:
http://www.w3.org/2005/MWI/BPWG/Group/TaskForces/mobileOKPro/drafts/ED-mobileOK-pro10-tests-20080610
Editor:
Kai Scheppe, Deutsche Telekom AG
Substantial contributions made by:
Phil Archer, Family Online Safety Institute
Alan Chuter, Technosite
Jo Rabin, DotMobi
Dave Rooks, Segala

Abstract

This document outlines a set of tests evaluations requiring human evaluation, based on the Mobile Web Best Practices 1.0 document and the mobileOK Basic Tests document, provided by the Mobile Web Initiative Best Practices Working Group.

This document is non-normative, but it is recommended to follow the advice given here to further improve mobile friendly content.

Status of this Document

This section describes the status of this document at the time of its publication. Other documents may supersede this document. A list of current W3C publications and the latest revision of this technical report can be found in the W3C technical reports index at http://www.w3.org/TR/.

This is a public Working Group Note produced by the mobileOK Pro Tests Taskforce of the Mobile Web Best Practices Working Group as part of the Mobile Web Initiative . Please send comments on this document to the Working Group's public email list public-bpwg-pro@w3.org, a publicly archived mailing list .

This document was produced under the 5 February 2004 W3C Patent Policy . W3C maintains a public list of patent disclosures made in connection with this document; that page also includes instructions for disclosing a patent. An individual who has actual knowledge of a patent which the individual believes contains Essential Claim(s) with respect to this specification must disclose the information in accordance with section 6 of the W3C Patent Policy.

Publication as a Working Group Note does not imply endorsement by the W3C Membership. This is a draft document and may be updated, replaced or obsoleted by other documents at any time. It is inappropriate to cite this document as other than work in progress. Other documents may supersede this document.

Table of Contents

1Introduction
1.1 Purpose
1.2 Scope
1.3 Audience

2 Test format

3 Sampling scheme

4 Tests
4.1 Access Keys
4.2 Auto Refresh
4.3 Avoid Free Text
4.4 Background Image Readability
4.5 Balance
4.6 Device Capabilities
4.7 Central Meaning
4.8 Limited
4.9 Clarity
4.10 Color Contrast
4.11 Content Format Preferred
4.12 Control Labeling
4.13 Control Position
4.14 Cookies
4.15 Deficiencies
4.16 Error Messages
4.17 Fonts
4.18 Graphics for Spacing
4.19 Link Target ID
4.20 Minimize Keystrokes
4.21 Navbar
4.22 Navigation
4.23 Non-text Alternatives
4.24 Objects or Scripts
4.25 Page Size Usable
4.26 Page Title
4.27 Provide Defaults
4.28 Scrolling
4.29 Structure
4.30 Style Sheets Size
4.31 Style Sheet Support
4.32 Suitable
4.33 Tab Order
4.34 Tables Layout
4.35 Tables Support
4.36 Testing
4.37 URIs
4.38 Use of Color

Appendices

A References (Non-Normative)


1 Introduction

1.1 Purpose

The purpose of this document, despite its subjective nature, is to provide guidelines to content producers on how to go improve their content even beyond mobileOK Basic and make the claim of having achieved mobileOK Pro, by following the guidelines laid out in this document.

Due to the subjective nature of some of these guidelines no deterministic tests can be performed.

However, the content author is encouraged to adapt implementation of these guidelines in a way best suited for the given situation.

mobileOK Best Practices is a set of guidelines which are partially testable via the mobileOK Basic Tests Checker, a tool for automated tests of a subset of Best Practices.

This addendum mobileOK Pro then provides a set of guidelines that fill the gaps left by the limitations of automated tests and thus completes the set of Best Practices.

1.2 Scope

The scope of this document is limited to the mobileOK Best Practices, the mobileOK Basic Tests resulting from those best practices and the difference between the two.

1.3 Audience

This document is intended for creators, maintainers and operators of Web sites. Readers of this document are expected to be familiar with the creation of Web sites, and to have a general familiarity with the technologies involved, such as Web servers and HTTP. Readers are not expected to have a background in mobile-specific technologies.

2 Test format

3 Sampling

3.1 Test Evaluation Scope

While most tests evaluations apply to single pages or delivery units, some tests, such as ACCESS_KEYS, NAVIGATION and URIS are tested across multiple pages. To perform the tests evaluations correctly it is necessary to define the scope of the evaluation. This may be expressed using URI patterns [or groupings using POWDER]."


4 Tests

4.1 Access Keys

Note to BPWG:

None

Limitations of this evaluation test:

This test does not exist in mobileOK Basic Tests.

It is independent of the Default Delivery Context (DDC)

Interpretation of the Best Practice:

This test applies to primary navigation links that occur across all pages within a given web space which is itself defined by the presence of those navigation links. Such navigation links should be associated with access keys. Furthermore, the access key assignment MUST should be identical for those links.

Access keys may be indicated to end users in any of three ways

Test Evaluation procedure:

Where there are elements, particularly navigation links and form controls, that would benefit from access keys:

Examples:

None

Open issues:

None


4.2 Auto Refresh

Note to BPWG:

None

Limitations of this evaluation test:

None

Interpretation of the Best Practice:

None

Differences to mobileOK Basic Tests:

The Basic test detects the presence of an automatic refresh. This , the Pro test looks for a user option to prevent automatic refresh.

Test Evaluation procedure:

If the Basic Test results in a warning about auto refresh and there is no link provided to another instance of the content which does not refresh [FAIL]

If the mobileOK checker warns about auto refresh make sure a link is provided to a non-refreshing version of the original resource

Examples:

None

Open issues:

None


4.3 Avoid Free text

Note to BPWG:

None

Limitations of this test:

None

Interpretation of the Best Practice:

None

Differences to mobileOK Basic Tests:

This test does not exist in mobileOK Basic Tests.

Test procedure:

If the user is asked to fill in a form and if there is a finite number of possible values that the user could enter and those options are not presented either as a series of radio buttons, check boxes or a select menu: [FAIL].

Examples:

Open issues:

None


4.4 Background Image readability

Note to BPWG:

None

Limitations of this test:

None

Differences to mobileOK Basic Tests:

This test does not exist in mobileOK Basic Tests, but it is worth noting that the DDC does support background images which are part of CSS 1.

Interpretation of the Best Practice

The use of patterned or photographic background images behind text is discouraged but not prohibited.

Test procedure:

If background images are used, the COLOR CONTRAST test must be passed for the ratio between the overlying text and each color used in the background image. Otherwise: [FAIL]

Examples:

Open issues:

None


4.5 Balance

Note to BPWG:

None

Limitations of this test:

None.

Interpretation of the Best Practice:

None

Differences to mobileOK Basic Tests:

This test does not exist in mobileOK Basic Tests.

Test procedure:

If the page contains more than 30 links: [FAIL]

Examples:

None

Open issues:

None


4.6 Device Capabilities

Note to BPWG:

None

Limitations of this test:

This test cannot cover all the possible capabilities that might be found in devices.
Unlike the DDC, many real devices support scripting, XML HTTP requests, DOM capabilities, cookies and CSS including media queries.
However, it is usually possible to detect a presentation that is artificially constrained by the limited and largely hypothetical Default Delivery Context.

Interpretation of the Best Practice:

Rather trying to find where device capabilities are not utilized it is more conclusive to identify those instances where the content is wrongfully limited on a device more capable than the DDC.

Differences to mobileOK Basic Tests:

This test does not exist in mobileOK Basic Tests.

Test procedure:

Examples:

Open issues:

None


4.7 Central Meaning

Note to BPWG:

None

Limitations of this test:

Interpretation of the Best Practice:

None

Differences to mobileOK Basic Tests:

This test does not exist in mobileOK Basic Tests.

Test procedure:

Examples:

None

Open issues:

None


4.8 Limited

Note to BPWG:

Advise on the use of the type attribute on links to provide information in machine-readable format for future user agents.

Limitations of this test:

None

Interpretation of the Best Practice:

None

Differences to mobileOK Basic Tests:

This test does not exist in mobileOK Basic Tests.

Test procedure:

Examples:

Open issues:

None


4.9 Clarity

Note to BPWG:

None

Limitations of this test:

This test is subjective and cannot be conclusive. It must therefore remain at a warning level to be informative.

Interpretation of the Best Practice:

None

Differences to mobileOK Basic Tests:

This test does not exist in mobileOK Basic Tests.

Test procedure:

If the text is, for the context, considered to be unnecessarily complex or verbose [WARN]

Examples:

Open issues:

None


4.10 Color Contrast

Note to BPWG:

This test could well be machine testable as there are publically accessible applications which compare color values.

Limitations of this test:

This test is actually defined in http://www.w3.org/TR/2007/WD-WCAG20-TECHS-20070517/Overview.html#G18, to which we refer here

Interpretation of the Best Practice:

None

Differences to mobileOK Basic Tests:

This test does not exist in mobileOK Basic Tests.

Test procedure:

If the contrast ratio is less than 5:1, according to http://www.w3.org/TR/2007/WD-WCAG20-TECHS-20070517/Overview.html#G18 [FAIL]

Examples:

None

Open issues:

None


4.11 Content Format Preferred

Note to BPWG:

This test is machine testable and we are not sure why is it not covered in the basic tests. The number of alternative formats is small and could be searched for by issuing subsequent appropriate requests.

Limitations of this test:

None

Interpretation of the Best Practice:

None

Differences to mobileOK Basic Tests:

This test does not exist in mobileOK Basic Tests.

Test procedure:

  1. Determine which alternative formats are available.
  2. If no alternative formats are available [PASS], otherwise
  3. Change the quality factors of the accept headers to express a preference for an available alternative format
  4. If the content which is delivered does not reflect that change: [FAIL]

Examples:

Typical changes to preferences such as the following should be reflected accordingly:

Open issues:

None


4.12 Control Labeling

Note to BPWG:

This test is machine testable

Limitations of this test:

None

Interpretation of the Best Practice:

None

Differences to mobileOK Basic Tests:

This test does not exist in mobileOK Basic Tests.

Test procedure:

Examples:

Open issues:


4.13 Control position

Note to BPWG:

The BP says labels ashould be positioned �properly� but gives no clue as to what this means. It should either clarify what is intended or this BP should be deprecated."

Limitations of this test:

Differences to mobileOK Basic Tests:

This test does not exist in mobileOK Basic Tests.

Test procedure:

Examples:

See Gez Lemon's article on Label Positioning. The examples should be in the BP document.

Open issues:

None


4.14 Cookies

Note to BPWG:

None

Limitations of this test:

Differences to mobileOK Basic Tests:

This test does not exist in mobileOK Basic Tests.

Test procedure:

  1. Identify the main functionality of the site that is important for the user and may rely on state. See examples.
  2. Evaluate the funcionality with cookies supported correctly.
  3. Disable cookies supported. Evaluate the funcionality and compare with that evaluated in 2.
  4. If the content or function cannot be accessed without cookies [FAIL]

Examples:

A site that requires a user to login might store that login in a cookie to save the user typing in their credentials each time they visit. If cookies are unavailable, an acceptable degradation would mean that the user was prompted for a login each time they visited that page, but would browse the site without further logins from then on. A poor (and unacceptable) cookieless degradation would render a site useless by always checking for a non-existent cookie and so not letting the user past the login page.

Open issues:

None


4.15 Deficiencies

Note to BPWG:

None

Limitations of this test:

This test cannot test all existing deficiencies of devices. Rather the test limited to the author/provider being aware of common deficiencies and do something about those. This test is not intended to test pixel perfect rendering across devices, but rather focuses on usability across devices.

Differences to mobileOK Basic Tests:

This test does not exist in mobileOK Basic Tests.

Test procedure:

If there are common deficiencies of devices, which impinge significantly on usability of the content being offered, measures must be taken to work around those deficiencies. If not [FAIL]

Examples:

Some devices which render tables badly will wrap columns by default, if the meaning of the page is dependent on layout which does not render well on these sorts of devices then an alternative rendering should be used when that user-agent is detected.

Open issues:

None


4.16 Error Messages

Note to BPWG:

An external tester can not know what errors generate error messages, or what languages are available.

Limitations of this test:

None

Differences to mobileOK Basic Tests:

This test does not exist in mobileOK Basic Tests.

Test procedure:

1. Provoke a server-side error.

2. Examine the content of the error page. All the following must be true, if not [FAIL].

It must:

Examples:

None

Open issues:

The mechanism by which a context specific error message can be displayed in not clear. For example, how to display a French error message if the user was in the French section of the site.


4.17 Fonts

Note to BPWG:

The intent of the BP stated in 5.4.16.1 is that meaning should be conveyed without relying on font-related styling. However, the "Machine Test" under 5.4.16.2 fails on any presence of any font-related styling (whether it conveys meaniong or not).

Limitations of this test:

None

Differences to mobileOK Basic Tests:

This test does not exist in mobileOK Basic Tests.

Test procedure:

  1. Check for presence of font-related styling, by means of the font element, or the bold, italic or underline elements, or CSS.
  2. Examine the content with CSS enabled and disabled. If the meaning is significantly different [FAIL]
  3. Examine any font-related elements present and the effect they have on the meaning of the content. If they are used to convey meaning significantly, [FAIL]
  4. Check for the presence of the "face" element. If only one font has been defined [FAIL]

Examples:

Open issues:

None


4.18 Graphics for Spacing

Note to BPWG:

None

Limitations of this test:

This test does not rely on a particular graphics format that are being evaluated.

Differences to mobileOK Basic Tests:

This BP is partially covered by the GRAPHICS_FOR_SPACING MobileOK basic Test.

Test procedure:

Does the content comply with GRAPHICS_FOR_SPACING MobileOK Basic Test? If not [FAIL].

View all images in a page, for example in a separate list of images, or by outlining them. For XHTML these will be included using the <img> element.
Determine visually whether any of the images do not convey information and are used for spacing. If they are [FAIL].

Note: Spacer images do not convey useful information. They are normally very small.

Examples:

Open issues:

Define unambiguously what is and is not a spacer image.


4.19 Link Target ID

Note to BPWG:

The abbreviation "ID" included in the handle of the BP, is confusing and suggests it involves the ID attribute. The test covers the use of hreflang, type and charset attributes which are not mentioned in the BP.

Limitations of this test:

This test only deals with the descriptive portion of a link

Differences to mobileOK Basic Tests:

This test does not exist in mobileOK Basic Tests.

Test procedure:

  1. Each link in the text is described by attributes as follows. If not, [FAIL].
    • If the target content is in a language different to that of the tested content, it is correctly marked with hreflang attribute;
    • If it is in a format other than that of the tested content, it is correctly described by the type attribute;
    • If it uses a character encoding different to that of the tested content, it is described by the charset attribute.
  2. Check that the link text (including alternative text for any non-text elements) clearly describes the effect of activating the element. If not, [FAIL]
  3. Select elements pairwise. Check that two links with same link text (including alternative text for non-text elements) and same title attribute (if provided) point to the same resource. If not, [FAIL].

(These liberally adapted from UWEM 1.0 13.1).

Examples:

Open issues:

Can contextual information can provide enough explanation for a "click here" link?

What is meant here is that there are instances were enough information is provided in the preceeding or surrounding text that a more detailed link description is not needed


4.20 Minimize Keystrokes

This test is covered by tests for AVOID_FREE_TEXT, URIS, CENTRAL_MEANING and PROVIDE_DEFAULTS.


4.21 Navbar

Note to BPWG:

None

Limitations of this test:

None

Differences to mobileOK Basic Tests:

This test does not exist in mobileOK Basic Tests.

Test procedure:

Examples:

Navigation bar consisting of only: Home; Up; Site map; Search...

Open issues:


4.22 Navigation

Note to BPWG:

There seems to be confusion in the MWBP document. The title refers to �consistent navigation�. However, the second paragraph discusses �Intelligent grouping� and the �How to do it� section suggests providing a drill-down list based on section headings, rather than about being consistent (it doesn't say use drill-down lists consistently). The latter is more relevant to [STRUCTURE] than to this BP. What was the intent, consistent navigation across a site or just good navigation in a page? This test assumes that consistency is what must be tested.

Limitations of this test:

Differences to mobileOK Basic Tests:

This test does not exist in mobileOK Basic Tests.

Test procedure:

Examples:

Open issues:

More examples needed.


4.23 Non-text alternatives

Note to BPWG:

The BP is actually in conflict here. The BP itself says "Provide a text equivalent for every non-text element.".
Yet in "What to test" it says "Test for presence of alt attribute on images and text content on objects." and elaborates to make sure that objects are supported.
This is actually a subset of the BP itself and therefore in conflict.
Conversely, the BP states "every non-text element", which greatly increases the scope of this test.

Additionally, the BP does give a reference to the WCAG definition of "non-text element", which is:

Non-text Content [WCAG20] 2001-12-10
See also Normative, Informative
Non-text content includes images, text in raster images, image map regions, animations (e.g., animated GIFs), applets and programmatic objects, ascii art, scripts, images used as list bullets, spacers, graphical buttons, sounds (played with or without user interaction), stand-alone audio files, audio tracks of video, and video.

Therefore it seems sensible to adapt the text given by Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 and deal with all the non-text elements

Limitations of this test:

While not all non-text elements are supported by the DDC, tests should fokus on the super set of elements provided by markup languages.

Interpretation of the Best Practice:

The original intent of the proposed human test for this BP is linked to the meaning of alternative text. While alt="this is alternative text" fulfills the letter of the guideline in terms of usage of the alternative text it leads such practice ad absurdum. This Test will cover both the extension to other non-text elements and the meaning of alt text.

Differences to mobileOK Basic Tests:

This test covers the meaning of textual alternatives as well as additional non-text elements. The mobileOK Basic test only covers the presence or absence of the alt attribute for images and objects, not its value.

Test procedure:

Referring to http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/#gl-provide-equivalents

Non-text elements include images, graphical representations of text (including symbols), image map regions, animations (e.g., animated GIFs), applets and programmatic objects, ascii art, frames, scripts, images used as list bullets, spacers, graphical buttons, sounds (played with or without user interaction), stand-alone audio files, audio tracks of video, and video.

If content does not meet Basic Test NON_TEXT_ALTERNATIVES, [FAIL]

Examples:

Open issues:

None


4.24 Objects or scripts

Note to BPWG:

None

Limitations of this test:

None

Differences to mobileOK Basic Tests:

This test covers the functionality of documents without objects or scripts, in addition to the mobileOK Basic Tests.

Test procedure:

If, without objects or scripts active or present, the document cannot be viewed or used such that the original intent of the web page is fulfilled [FAIL]

Examples:

From http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT/wai-pageauth.html#tech-scripts

Open issues:

None


4.25 Page Size Usable

Note to BPWG:

None

Limitations of this test:

None

Differences to mobileOK Basic Tests:

This test does not exist in mobileOK Basic Tests.

Test procedure:

Examples:

Open issues:

None


4.26 Page Title

Note to BPWG:

None

Limitations of this test:

None

Differences to mobileOK Basic Tests:

This test covers the meaning of the title, in addition to the existing mobileOK Basic Tests

Test procedure:

Examples:

Open issues:

None


4.27 Provide Defaults

Note to BPWG:

None

Limitations of this test:

None

Differences to mobileOK Basic Tests:

This test covers the usefulness of the preselection, in addition to existing mobileOK Basic Tests .

Test procedure:

Examples:

None

Open issues:

None


4.28 Scrolling

Note to BPWG:

None

Limitations of this test:

None

Differences to mobileOK Basic Tests:

This test does not exist in mobileOK Basic Tests.

Test procedure:

If testing a webpage with a device, and horizontal scrolling appears. For each element wider than screen size:

Examples:

None

Open issues:

None


4.29 Structure

Note to BPWG:

None

Limitations of this test:

None

Differences to mobileOK Basic Tests:

This test does not exist in mobileOK Basic Tests.

Test procedure:

Examples:

None

Open issues:

It is not clear what structural markup is and which elements are included in this definition.


4.30 Style Sheets Size

Note to BPWG:

None

Limitations of this test:

There is no guidance on this parameter and a value was picked

Differences to mobileOK Basic Tests:

This test does not exist in mobileOK Basic Tests.

Test procedure:

Examples:

None

Open issues:


4.31 Style Sheet Support

Note to BPWG:

None

Limitations of this test:

None

Differences to mobileOK Basic Tests:

This test does not exist in mobileOK Basic Tests.

Test procedure:

If content is unreadable or unintelligible with stylesheets disabled [FAIL]

Examples:

None

Open issues:

None


4.32 Suitable

Note to BPWG:

None

Limitations of this test:

This test is clearly very subjective, therefore the threshhold for a FAIL is very high. It must be beyond reasonable argument that the presentation of the content is inapropriate for a mobile context.

Differences to mobileOK Basic Tests:

This test does not exist in mobileOK Basic Tests.

Test procedure:

Examine the content to determine if the presentation is very obviously inappropriate in a mobile context. If so [FAIL]

Examples:

Open issues:

None

4.33 Tab Order

Note to BPWG:

None

Limitations of this test:

None

Differences to mobileOK Basic Tests:

This test does not exist in mobileOK Basic Tests.

Test procedure:

Does the tab order of links, form controls and objects follow a logical or thematic order? If not [FAIL]

Examples:

Open issues:

None

4.34 Tables Layout

Note to BPWG:

None

Limitations of this test:

As of this writing, CSS is itself deficient in that it does not support a grid layout that auto adjusts vertically. It must be recognized therefore that some layouts can currently only be achieved using tables.

Differences to mobileOK Basic Tests:

In addition to the mobileOK Basic Test, this test checks usage for layout.

Test procedure:

If tables are used in a fashion that could be achieved using CSS [FAIL]

Examples:

Open issues:

None

4.35 Tables Support

Note to BPWG:

None

Limitations of this test:

None

Differences to mobileOK Basic Tests:

This test does not exist in mobileOK Basic Tests.

Test procedure:

If the device does not support tables and the table element is found within the source code [FAIL]

Examples:

None

Open issues:

Is there a way to programatically determine if a device supports tables?


4.36 Testing

Note to BPWG:

This BP gives no information about what is being tested, which calls this BP into question as being useless.

Limitations of this test:

None

Differences to mobileOK Basic Tests:

This test does not exist in mobileOK Basic Tests.

Test procedure:

Examples:

None

Open issues:

None


4.37 URIs

Note to BPWG:

None

Limitations of this test:

None

Differences to mobileOK Basic Tests:

This test does not exist in mobileOK Basic Tests.

Test procedure:

Examples:

None

Open issues:

None


4.38 Use of color

Note to BPWG:

None

Limitations of this test:

None

Differences to mobileOK Basic Tests:

This test does not exist in mobileOK Basic Tests.

Test procedure:

Examples:

Open issues:

None