Re: table-summary argument

Matt Morgan-May 2009-02-04 00.28:
> Philip Taylor wrote:
>> That post offers a replacement for its use: "It seems there are at least
>> two alternatives: <caption> and <p>. That is, show the helpful text to
>> all users, either as a table caption or in prose before the table."
> 
> The Techniques for WCAG 2 specify that <caption> and @summary should not
> duplicate one another.
> 
> http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20-TECHS/H73.html
> 
> It's also not intended to be visible, because it's intended as metadata to
> describe the structure of the table. Requiring it to be visible makes as
> much sense as making @alt visible.

These few lines are, to me. the most enlightening comment 
regarding the purpose of @summary that I have read. Especially 
that about the structure of the table. Of course, a user that is 
able to see the rendered document, does not need that the text is 
poluted by a description of things he can allready see. Also, 
there are many cases when the table and cell borders are hidden, 
so that even the sighter one cannot perceive that it is a table - 
unless he disable author CSS. Yet, the screen reader user, will be 
informed that it is a table and would benefit from a description 
the structure.

It seems to me that, as long as HTML 5 contains description for 
filling out an @alt, it should also describe how to fill out @summary.

>> Larry: it might be useful to write up a short statement (ideally a
>> balanced one that covers both positions, if that's humanly possible) to
>> be included in the draft for now?
> 
> I'll volunteer to write this.
-- 
leif halvard silli

Received on Wednesday, 4 February 2009 19:11:46 UTC