Change Proposal: caption change to solve summary deadlock

My change proposal for @summary has been changed into a change proposal 
for <caption>.

http://www.w3.org/html/wg/wiki/ChangeProposals/tableInfoProposal


The proposal now reflects the thoughts I presented earlier to day [1], 
regarding a new - media independent - child element inside <caption>, 
for keeping information that is directly related to the table, but 
which still shouldn't be considered as part of the table caption.

The element has become baptised <tableinfo>.

The main thought in the proposal is that @summary is only the symptom - 
the problem is <caption>, and the fact that HTML5 breaks WCAG2’s 
<caption> guidlines (H39). It is H39 which defines H73 (WCAG2’s 
@summary guidelines), and not the other way around.

According to this change proposal, authors may, if they wish, place the 
content of @summary inside the <tableinfo> element. However, the 
<tableinfo> element may also be used for table related info that has 
nothing to do with non-visual 'table summaries'.

Unless we solve the problem of how to place table info inside the 
<caption> element, then I see no future for @summary - except if we 
decide to forbid *any* content that isn't part of the table caption 
string, inside the <caption> element. The only way to keep a place for 
@summary is to maintain - in accordance with H39 - that there is a 
difference between a table identification string (a caption) and any 
other related table info (be it a non-visual table summary - or any 
other related info).

[1] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-html-a11y/2010Mar/0056

-- 
leif halvard silli

Received on Thursday, 4 March 2010 01:04:57 UTC