Looking for some clarification

Hi All,

As I continue to digest the current EPUB 3.3 Rec, I'd like to ask some
specific questions (if I may) regarding *Structural Semantics Vocabulary**.

Specifically, I am looking to understand the
relationship/similarities/differences between Document Partitions
<https://www.w3.org/TR/epub-33/#partitions> and Document Sections and
Components <https://www.w3.org/TR/epub-33/#sections>, as they appear (to
me) to be very similar in function. (But, for example, would/could a
Section or Component be a child of a Partition? Or are they hierarchically
equal? )

   - Looking specifically at usage in <nav epub:type="landmarks">, is there
   a *minimum set* or collection of landmark-values expected in a
   publication?
      - if yes, what are they?
      - if no, should there be? (why/why not?)

      - Additionally, from an accessibility perspective, while the Rec is
   currently silent on this specific scenario, based on the following
supplied code
   example <https://www.w3.org/TR/epub-33/#example-33> I am *presuming*
   that the Partition value (actually, any epub:type's value) should also use
   a "Human Readable" label (accessible name), as seen here with the epub:type
   of *bodymatter*, where the label is *Start of Content*:

<nav epub:type="landmarks">

<h2>Guide</h2>

<ol>

<li><a epub:type="toc" href="#toc">Table of Contents</a></li>

<li><a epub:type="loi" href="content.html#loi">List of Illustrations</a></li
>

<li><a epub:type="bodymatter" href="content.html#bodymatter">Start of
Content</a></li>

</ol>

</nav>


I ask this, because currently I am seeing (in sample books I am reviewing)
that in many instances the epub:type value is being echoed as the
human-readable label as well (i.e. *<a epub:type="Frontmatter"
href="...">Frontmatter</a>*), which my gut is cringing at, as being less
than useful for some users with different forms of cognitive disability.
(It's a bit of a stretch to be sure, but WCAG SC 3.1.3 Unusual Words
<https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/#unusual-words> (Level AAA) states: *A
mechanism is available for identifying specific definitions of words or
phrases used in an unusual or restricted way, including idioms and jargon.
- *and to *my* mind at least, *Frontmatter *is fairly "jargony
<https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/#dfn-jargon>" on the surface - it's clearly
not a common term in regular public usage AFAIK. Ditto "backmatter".)
(@Avneesh?)


   - Returning to  *Document Partitions* vs. *Document Sections and
   Components*, does one category have stronger or more important semantics
   in practical usage? i.e. both *Frontmatter *and *Forward *feel very
   similar (synonymous?) to each other conceptually - If I had to choose just
   one, which would/should I choose? (and why?) Or, as I asked previously,
   could I/would I seek to do something like this?

   <nav epub:type="landmarks">

   <h2>Guide</h2>

   <ol>

   <li><a epub:type="Frontmatter" href="content.html#frontmatter">
   Frontmatter</a> (* ya, yech) <ol> <li><a epub:type="Forward"
   href="content.html#forward">Forward</a></li> <li><a epub:type="Preface"
   href="content.html#preface">Preface</a></li> </ol> </li>

   <li><a epub:type="loi" href="content.html#loi">List of Illustrations</a>
   </li>

   <li><a epub:type="bodymatter" href="content.html#bodymatter">Start of
   Content</a></li>

   </ol>

   </nav> (Or am I overthinking this?)


Thanks in advance for any insights you can provide me.

JF


(* At the risk of asking too many questions, why is the Structural
Semantics Vocabulary non-normative in the Recommendation? It appears to be
furnishing specific definitions to multiple value terms. As a standards
wonk, it strikes me that those definitions would probably want to be
normative - or, again, am I missing something here? @Ivan - has there been
any discussion of moving those definitions into the proposed W3C Registry
<https://github.com/w3c/w3process/pull/335>?)
-- 
*John Foliot* | Senior Industry Specialist, Digital Accessibility

"I made this so long because I did not have time to make it shorter." -
Pascal "links go places, buttons do things"