[Bug 7475] Semantics of rel=first and rel=index breaks specs and implementations

http://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=7475


Alexandre Alapetite <alexandre@alapetite.fr> changed:

           What    |Removed                     |Added
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 CC|                            |alexandre@alapetite.fr
             Status|RESOLVED                    |REOPENED
         Resolution|WONTFIX                     |




--- Comment #4 from Alexandre Alapetite <alexandre@alapetite.fr>  2009-11-15 22:51:57 ---
Dear Ian,
With regard to @rel={top,index,contents,toc}, I believe that the situation
before HTML5 was pretty clear and with a good consensus, but the current HTML5
draft introduces some severe incompatibilities (please note that I have no
issue with @rel="first" as currently defined in HTML5, so the title of this bug
could be updated AFAIC).

In order to illustrate this fact, I have attempted to summarise the major
information in the following draft table:

http://alexandre.alapetite.fr/divers/vrac/20091115_HTML_link_rel.html

The problems in the current version of HTML5 can IMHO be resumed to the
following:

1) The traditional concepts of "table of contents" and "index" (i.e. a list of
names or topics that are referred in a book, etc., usually arranged at the end
of a book in alphabetical order) have disappeared in HTML5, while they exist in
HTML4, HTML3.2, are used in the wild (also in other W3C documents), and backed
up by several implementations, all agreeing. (See the above table for details)

2) Those two traditional concepts of "index" and "table of contents" have been
merged into the traditional concept of "top" or "home", as defined in HTML3.2
and implemented in e.g. Opera, SeaMonkey, etc. There is also a good consensus
in the interpretation of "top" or "home".

3) Against all definitions, this traditional concept of "top" or "home" has
been renamed "index" in HTML5. The current definition of "index" in HTML5
("leading to the document that is the top of the hierarchy") has simply nothing
to do with an index (as defined in an English dictionary, or HTML4, HTML3.2,
etc.).

Therefore, I urge you to reconsider this chapter, for which I propose the
following changes.

A) (6.12.3.17.1) Rename this concept "top" instead of the erroneous "index",
and remove "index", "contents" and "toc" from this concept. Maybe add "home" as
a synonym.

B) Reintroduce the traditional concept of "index" (i.e. a list of names or
topics that are referred in a book, etc., usually arranged at the end of a book
in alphabetical order), or in the worst case just drop it from the
specification.

C) Reintroduce the traditional concept of "Table of Contents" (i.e. a list of
the main points or information in a book, usually at the front of the book), or
in the worst case just drop it from the specification. Make "toc" a synonym.

D) (Detail) Maybe add "parent" as a synonym of "top".

Should it be necessary, I would be willing to contribute my services to improve
this chapter, or create documents summarizing the current situation as I have
just attempted with

http://alexandre.alapetite.fr/divers/vrac/20091115_HTML_link_rel.html

Thank you for your consideration.

Best regards,
Alexandre Alapetite
Technical University of Denmark
http://alexandre.alapetite.fr

P.S.: Thanks to Leif Halvard Silli for his contributions.


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Received on Sunday, 15 November 2009 22:52:00 UTC