Re: [Bug 8671] Requiring the label attribute

one more consideration -- i don't consider the bug report 
requiring use of @label to be an-a11y specific bug, but a
general bug, as it pertains not only to a11y, but i18n and
general usability -- an icon has no inherent meaning, and 
thus MUST ALWAYS be described by @label and explained 
through @title

gregory.
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Accessibility, Internationalization, and Interoperability are not
"features", "overlays" or "add-ons".  Rather, they are core 
components of any architecture -- programmatic or otherwise.
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     Gregory J. Rosmaita, gregory@linux-foundation.org
Vice-Chair, WebMaster & Listmaster, Open Accessibility Workgroup
http://a11y.org/                                http://a11y/specs
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---------- Original Message -----------
From: "Gregory J. Rosmaita" <oedipus@hicom.net>
To: public-html-a11y@w3.org, gez.lemon@gmail.com
Sent: Thu, 7 Jan 2010 17:38:18 +0000
Subject: Re: [Bug 8671] Requiring the label attribute

> aloha!
> 
> does bug 8671 cover the not-yet-submitted bug report contained at:
> 
> http://www.w3.org/WAI/PF/HTML/wiki/Bugs/a11y/command_element/icon
> 
> and reproduced in full following my signature...
> 
> should the info on that wiki page be ported to bug 8671 or should
> a new bug be opened, as the thrust of my bug report is that 
> @label MUST be used when @icon is used, not just for 
> accessibility purposes, but general usability and 
> internationalization, as an icon only has meaning through use 
> and custom, and not everyone who perceives the icon will know 
> what it is intended to represent...
> 
> Bugs/a11y/command element/icon
> 
>    Bug Details:
>      * Section: 4.11.2 The command element
>      * Revision version of draft reviewed: 1.3518
> 
>    <q
>    cite="http://dev.w3.org/html5/spec/interactive-
> elements.html#attr-comm   and-label">The label attribute gives 
> the name of the command, as shown   to the user.</q>
> 
>    <q
>    cite="http://dev.w3.org/html5/spec/interactive-
> elements.html#command-f   acet-accesskey">The title attribute 
> gives a hint describing the   command, which might be shown to 
> the user to help him.</q>
> 
>    Comments: This differentiation between label and title is a familiar
>    one: the label is a noun, which describes the labeled item, while
>    title serves as a "verb", by providing assistance or 
> instructions to   the user on demand.
> 
>    <q
>    cite="http://dev.w3.org/html5/spec/interactive-
> elements.html#command-f   acet-accesskey">The icon attribute 
> gives a picture that represents the   command. If the attribute 
> is specified, the attribute's value must   contain a valid URL. 
> To obtain the absolute URL of the icon, the   attribute's value 
> must be resolved relative to the element.</q>
> 
>    Comments: There is currently no stipulation that use of an 
> icon   necessitates valid label and title values, so as to 
> provide for an   alternative to the rendering of the graphic. 
> Since the icon attribute   is explicitly <q  
>  cite="http://dev.w3.org/html5/spec/interactive-
> elements.html#command-f   acet-accesskey">a picture that 
> represents the command</q>, use of icon   must be valid only 
> when label and title are also present.
> 
>    Synopsis: Use of icon requires valid label (and title, or is 
> that an   best practice for authors - sometimes, the label does 
> "say it all").   There are NO circumstances where the icon 
> attribute can be used   without an accompanying label. Note that 
> the presence of a label helps   users who can perceive the icon, 
> but to whom the imagery does not make   sense or is not readily 
> apparent to the user; therefore, label becomes   an especially 
> important means of disambiguating the meaning of the   icon.     
> _________________________________________________________________
> 
>    Retrieved from
>    "http://www.w3.org/WAI/PF/HTML/wiki/Bugs/a11y/command_element/icon"
> 
> ---------- Original Message -----------
> From: bugzilla@wiggum.w3.org
> To: public-html-a11y@w3.org
> Sent: Thu, 07 Jan 2010 16:48:00 +0000
> Subject: [Bug 8671] Requiring the label attribute
> 
> > http://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=8671
> > 
> > Michael(tm) Smith <mike@w3.org> changed:
> > 
> >            What    |Removed                     |Added
> > ----------------------------------------------------------------------
--
> ----
> >            Keywords|                            |a11ytf
> > 
> > -- 
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Received on Thursday, 7 January 2010 18:27:45 UTC