Re: [iri] #121: BIDI: Some users are requiring right-to-left label ordering.

#121: BIDI: Some users are requiring right-to-left label ordering.


Comment (by shawnste@…):

 The primary concern would be a simple domain name, even without http:// :)
 Of course an IRI needs to be consistent with that.

 The customers have been focused primarily on the domain portion.  By the
 time we look at the query string they've "lost interest".  So RTL in the
 domain should probably force reading order.

 Interestingly, however, the key indicator isn't the domain itself, but
 rather the context/mindset of the user. If they're dealing with Arabic,
 they may expect the URL to render labels from right-to-left, even if it's
 entirely ASCII!  Specifically, if the browser's UI language is Arabic, or
 if the Address Field is in Right To Left Reading order, this expectation
 increases.

 The bias also seems to be cultural &/or experience related.  A software
 engineer that majored in math speaking from one country may feel more
 comfortable with left-to-right behavior than a non-computer/math focused
 person in another country.

 I know it doesn't help this RFC, but keying off the address box
 directionality might be good.  In a document, keying off the primary
 document language might work.  That doesn't provide the consistency
 necessary here.

 I don't think that "any RTL means all-RTL" works very well, because a
 simple Arabic query string to Bing probably doesn't mean that the address
 needs flipped.  Any RTL within the domain portion (or local part of an
 email address) probably does indicate that the labels should be ordered
 from Right to Left.

 I realize that following these rules may end up with behavior that is
 "fuzzier" than some are comfortable with, however the goal here is human
 readable (by the 90%, not engineers).  Machines and Engineers already know
 how to "read" it, we've got byte order if nothing else; our biases should
 not impact the "see a domain name on the side of the bus and type it into
 my phone" case.

 In summary: Follow the order of the address box if the user sets that.  If
 there is no other context, any RTL in the primary portion (eg domain) of
 the IRI should trigger RTL ordering of the labels.  EG: put the whole
 thing in right to left marks instead of left to right marks.

-- 
---------------------------+-----------------------------------------------
 Reporter:  shawnste@…     |       Owner:  draft-ietf-iri-bidi-guidelines@…
     Type:  defect         |      Status:  new
 Priority:  major          |   Milestone:
Component:  bidi-          |     Version:
  guidelines               |  Resolution:
 Severity:  -              |
 Keywords:                 |
---------------------------+-----------------------------------------------

Ticket URL: <http://trac.tools.ietf.org/wg/iri/trac/ticket/121#comment:2>
iri <http://tools.ietf.org/wg/iri/>

Received on Wednesday, 14 March 2012 17:47:55 UTC