[Bug 10604] New: Don't say 'empty' about @alt anywhere, say 'empty string' everywhere

http://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=10604

           Summary: Don't say 'empty' about @alt anywhere, say 'empty
                    string' everywhere
           Product: HTML WG
           Version: unspecified
          Platform: PC
               URL: http://dev.w3.org/html5/spec/embedded-content-1.html#i
                    mg-load
        OS/Version: All
            Status: NEW
          Keywords: a11y
          Severity: normal
          Priority: P3
         Component: HTML5 spec (editor: Ian Hickson)
        AssignedTo: ian@hixie.ch
        ReportedBy: xn--mlform-iua@xn--mlform-iua.no
         QAContact: public-html-bugzilla@w3.org
                CC: mike@w3.org, public-html@w3.org


(1) ISSUE:
      * Most places, the spec includes the wording "the empy string" when it
speak about 
          an @alt attribute that is considered empty. 

      * However, some some places it just says "empty", which is a phrase that
is open to
         interpretation - e.g. it could include the space character to many
readers.

      * Please  make sure that the spec says "empty string" everywhere.

      The liste below (3) points to the places where the spec says "empty"
instead of "empty string".

(2) WHY THIS IS IMPORANT 
     1: USER AGENTS treat the <img> differently if the @alt is the empty string
versus when 
         the @alt contains any other string. E.g. VoiceOver+VoiceOver always
announces an <img>
         whose @alt is not the empty string. Other AT solutions work roughly
the same way.  
         Thus, to be certain that the image's presence isn't announced, authors
must use the
         empty string,  they cannot e.g. use a the space character as the
content.
     2: CLARITY: If the @alt attribute only contains a white space character, 
then many will 
          think of it as empty.
     3: CONSISTENCY: The spec text should be consistent - same wording
everywhere.

(3) List of discovered places that needs fixing - with indication of how it can
be repaired:

#img-load
   ]] If the src attribute is set and the alt attribute is set to a value that
isn't empty [[
   SUGGESTED INSTEAD: … isn't the empty string

#a-link-or-button-containing-nothing-but-the-image
  ]] Except where otherwise specified, the alt attribute must be specified and
its value must not be empty; the value must be an appropriate replacement for
the image. [[
  SUGGESTED INSTEAD: … and its value must not be the empty string

#a-short-phrase-or-label-with-an-alternative-graphical-representation:-icons-logos
  ]]In those cases, the alt attribute must be present but must be empty. [[
  SUGGESTED INSTEAD: … but its value must be the empty string

#a-short-phrase-or-label-with-an-alternative-graphical-representation:-icons-logos
  ]] Here the icons are next to text that conveys the same meaning, so they
have an empty alt attribute:[[
  SUGGESTED INSTEAD: … so they have an alt attribute with the empty string:

#a-short-phrase-or-label-with-an-alternative-graphical-representation:-icons-logos
  ]] If the logo is being used next to the name of the entity that it
represents, then the logo is supplemental, and its alt attribute must instead
be empty [[
  SUGGESTED INSTEAD: … and its alt attribute value must instead be the empty
string

#table-aria-strong
  ]] img element whose alt attribute's value is empty[[
  SUGGESTED INSTEAD: … whose alt attribute value is the empty string

-- 
Configure bugmail: http://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/userprefs.cgi?tab=email
------- You are receiving this mail because: -------
You are the QA contact for the bug.

Received on Saturday, 11 September 2010 23:21:11 UTC