Re: what is dt?

2009-09-17 11:58, Bruce Lawson skrev:

>I also believe that dd/ dt have such a history of being abused that 
no-one thinks they mean anything any way.

Putting my teachers hat on!

Am I to tell my students that dt/dd are to be used in an ugly and 
counter-intuitive fashion because of past abuse? (yes, I know that was 
not the main point, but certainly the weakest one.)

Here is my bottom line: details AND figure (sorry Jeremy for groupng the 
together again) are both NEW elements. I really do not see any harm at 
all in providing a third new element (and perhaps a fourth if we want 
separate solutions).

First of all they would most probably be implemented by browsers at the 
same time. And why we wait they are semantically anonymous, but stylable 
just like header, footer and nav.

Second, while trying to reduce the number of new elements is a noble 
goal, the probability of seeing correct usage of any new element goes up 
when its syntax is intuitive. Making counter intuitive decisions with 
the sole purpose of *not* introducing a new element, is not a wise idea.

It is easier to learn 4 new elements, than 2 new ones and a weird new 
pattern for 2 existing elements.

Third: Allowing for dt/dd in figure and/or details will most certainly 
lead to abuse, since sooner or later someone will generalize this into a 
generic key-value paradigm. If we opt for using dt/dd in the way that is 
now suggested, I think we had better go all the way.

End of arguments, new section, suggestions. Less important than the above:

In order to give some meaty suggestions for all on this list to disagree 
upon I conclude with a few suggestions that I think are really intuitive 
and would be picked up quickly:

<figcap> and <detcap>

Figure caption and details caption

If we'd like one element for both - which I agree with Jeremy that we 
might not - I suggest, since we are running out of synonyms, <rubric>

http://www.synonym.com/definition/rubric/

If we really must not invent a new element, please use h1 and wait a few 
years, since at least that would be using h1 in the same way as it is 
used in other sectioning content.

Look to the future, not to the past! Our decisions today are supposed to 
live on the web for many years, we will only keep today's browsers for a 
few more. Patience is a virtue.


-- 
Lars Gunther
http://keryx.se/
http://twitter.com/itpastorn/
http://itpastorn.blogspot.com/

Received on Thursday, 17 September 2009 11:01:03 UTC