Re: Examples of colgroup/rowgroup attributes

(CC'ing this to public-html to get more research and examples for this 
issue.)

James Graham wrote:
> I'm just wondering if, in your research into HTML tables, you have ever 
> come across a table that would require the use of scope=rowgroup/colgroup 
> assuming [...] something like the smart[ ]colspan

I don't recall any which used it and needed it.

However, there are largely regular tables which have the odd quirk inside 
them. If authors were to retrofit accessibility to these, scope might help 
disambiguate.

A quick look through my collection turned up some smart colspan worries:

1. <http://harmonia.terrainformatica.com/map.html>
    [[[
    This might prevent the “smart colspan” algorithm working.
    ]]]
    Specifically, the "measure, parser, render, scanner, style, tableengine" 
cell.

    This row header spans into the 3rd column. That would apply it to data 
cells below it until another? Using scope="row" on that cell could prevent 
this?

2. <http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/boxscore?gameId=270519002>
    [[[
    1st Period Summary:
    * Columns 3 and 4 start with individual headers but are replaced by a 
spanned header. “Smart colspan” wouldn’t recognise this because it would 
fail in other tables, IIRC.
    2nd Period Summary, 3rd Period Summary and OT Summary are the same as 
1st Period Summary.
    ]]]
    Specifically, the "PENALTY DETAIL" header cell in each table.

    The data cells below this would get that header applied to them, but 
smart colspan would also apply the "SCORING DETAIL" and "SCORE" headers? I'm 
not sure how to solve this case.

Ideally, the final smart colspan/rowspan mode in tandem with the final auto 
mode would supercede scope. More accessibility with less markup FTW! But 
these "regular with quirks" cases seem to prevent that being 100%.

--
Ben 'Cerbera' Millard
Collections of Interesting Data Tables
<http://sitesurgeon.co.uk/tables/>

Received on Tuesday, 22 January 2008 00:11:45 UTC