WCAG2 vs @summary

QUESTION: 

	Is it within WCAG2 to simply place the 'table summary' content (which 
describes the organisation/structure etc of the table) directly in a 
HTML4 <caption>? (I ask about the HTML4 <caption>, because it doesn't 
allow block elements. And that's a fact that help clearing the mind!)

Background information:

	A) HTML4 and WCAG2 warns about duplicating the caption content in the 
summary. 

	B) The justification for table summaries via @summary in HTML4 is that 
table captions often are authored according to the needs of the screen 
media. [1] I interpret this to mean that if the table summary appears 
as part of the <caption>, then all is fine.

	C) WCAG2 says that the table summary has to be possible to 
'programmatically determine':

	]]There may also be cases where it may be a judgment call about what 
information should appear in text and what would need to be directly 
associated, and it may be most appropriate to duplicate some 
information (for instance, in an HTML table, providing the summary both 
in the paragraph before the table and in the summary attribute of the 
table itself). However, wherever possible it is necessary for the 
information to be programmatically determined rather than providing a 
text description before encountering the table.[[

	Suggested interpretation: 

	"when the table summary is not part of the <caption> content, *then* 
it must still be programatically detectable". I suggest that this is 
what is meant because WCAG talks about this in a discussion about 
whether to place a table summary before the <table>. Hence, if the 
table summary appears inside the <caption>, then it already *is* 
possible to programmatically determine - if not possible to 
programmatically determine as a table summary, it is still possible to 
programmatically determine that it belongs to the <table> and also that 
it is meant to be an extension of the table's caption feature.

	I would like to hear if anyone of you agree or disagree. 

[1] http://www.w3.org/TR/html401/struct/tables#edef-CAPTION
[2] 
http://www.w3.org/TR/2008/NOTE-UNDERSTANDING-WCAG20-20081211/content-structure-separation-programmatic#content-structure-separation-programmatic-intent-head
-- 
leif halvard silli

Received on Tuesday, 2 March 2010 20:42:29 UTC