Re: Header cell in top left of data tables

Ben Boyle wrote:
> This table has both row and column headings [...] It's the top left cell 
> that bugs me.
>
> If it contains "Time" then it should be a <th scope="row">
> If it contains "Channel" then it should be a <th scope="col">
>
> How can this be unambiguous (to a UA) without @scope?
>

James Graham wrote:
> AFICT it can't.

Without scope, I think it should apply downwards. From the tables I've seen, 
a header in that position is always labelling the row headers below it. But 
I haven't seen every table which exists. :-)

If an author wants to apply it across that row, I think scope="row" is a 
sensible way to make that happen. The algorithm could prevent this type of 
header being applied downwards if we add a "smart headers" stage in or 
around the "HTML5 scope" stage:

1. In tables with a header in the top-left corner, apply these steps to that 
header:
    a. If it uses scope=row:
        i. Apply it across that row, respecting "smart rowspan".
    b. If it has no scope value:
        i. If all cells on that row are header cells, apply it down that 
column.
   c. Otherwise, do nothing for this stage.

Step 1c means a top-left cell with scope set to "col", "colgroup" or 
"rowgroup" would still work. If we go cell-by-cell and make the headers+id 
stage block the subsequent stages, as James proposed last year, irregular 
cases remain intact.

Doing more analysis of real tables might identify a higher level of patterns 
which are shared by header cell arrangements. Fewer, more abstract steps in 
the "smart colspan" stage could then accomodate all the regular cases. 
Including top-left header cells. For any depth of column headers and row 
headers. headers+id would remain for irregular cases.

I've not yet found a way to make ends meet whilst doing a new round of 
analysis. It's a pipedream for now. :-(

Ben Boyle wrote:
> Often this cell is blank in tables (which is easy, I just use <td></td> 
> ... even within <thead>) [...]

That's what I do, too. An empty <th> would also work there. Real tables use 
either, IIRC.

Sometimes a cell contains insignificant content, such as &nbsp; or <br>. 
These should be [ignored]. Among other things, this would avoid functionally 
empty top-left header cells being associated with data cells. Thus 
supporting real tables accessibly.

[Inspector] <http://james.html5.org/tables/table_inspector.html>
[ignored] Search for "significant content":
<http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-html/2007Sep/0194.html>

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

Received on Sunday, 27 January 2008 13:19:22 UTC