Re: [Bug 7509] Consider <dl type="dialog"> instead of <dialog>

I like this idea. The <dl> element has been used (and some would say  
abused) for quite a few different purposes. HTML5 creates a <dialog>  
element to split off one of those purposes, but I'd argue that  
marking up dialogues is not the only - probably not even the most  
important - use of <dl> that should be split off.

In particular, I think key-value lists are an important case. e.g.

<dl>
	<dt>Name:</dt>
	<dd>Toby Inkster</dd>
	<dt>Date of birth:</dt>
	<dd>1980-06-01</dd>
</dl>

This is quite different to a definition list. "Toby Inkster" isn't  
the definition of "Name"; if anything it's the other way around:  
"Name" is the definition of "Toby Inkster". <dl> lists like this seem  
to be pretty common.

Specialising it using an attribute seems preferable to creating a  
different element for each usage. I'd suggest not using @type though  
because its syntax would conflict with the attribute of the same name  
on <a>, <link>, <script>, <object>, etc.

Possibly @role could be re-used. (@role isn't just an ARIA attribute,  
it's intended to be used in other ways too.) e.g.

<dl role="property-list">
	<dt>Name:</dt>
	<dd>Toby Inkster</dd>
	<dt>Date of birth:</dt>
	<dd>1980-06-01</dd>
</dl>

A role of "glossary" or something would be the default if no  
contradictory roles (like "dialog", "timeline" or "property-list")  
were found.

-- 
Toby A Inkster
<mailto:mail@tobyinkster.co.uk>
<http://tobyinkster.co.uk>

Received on Wednesday, 9 September 2009 21:41:15 UTC