RE: Add Dragging SC to WCAG 2.2 draft

Does this more generic definition now cover any kind of swipe gestures as well (pointer down on some area, move while keeping it down, pointer up to achieve a function)?

Also, I was initially (mis)reading “target” as meaning a target element, rather than an area of the screen. Maybe just “engages with an element”?

P

From: Alastair Campbell <acampbell@nomensa.com>
Sent: 06 May 2020 14:26
To: Mobile a11y tf (public-mobile-a11y-tf@w3.org) <public-mobile-a11y-tf@w3.org>
Cc: Wilco Fiers <wilco.fiers@deque.com>
Subject: FW: Add Dragging SC to WCAG 2.2 draft

Hi MAFT,

I think Wilco might have a point here, which is that: Some dragging actions do not ‘move’ an element around as such, therefore the ‘dragging movement’ definition won’t apply to some dragging movements.

The video shows a thing where you drag from a starting point to create an arrow, but there isn’t an element to drag around.

The current definition is:
A dragging movement is an operation where the pointer engages with a <a>target</a> on the down event and the target follows the pointer until the up event without requiring movement in a specific direction at the start of the movement. The target could be, for example, a list item, a text element, or an image.

Wilco is also pulling up the term ‘target’ which is defined as an area of the screen. I’m not sure this one is really an issue, but if there is a better term we could use (or avoid it), that’s worth a try.

I was thinking of something like:
“an operation where the pointer engages with a <a>target</a> on the down event and, without requiring a specific starting direction, is moved to achieve a specific function. The function could be, for example, to move a list item, resize an image, or measuring a distance on a map.”

It is much more generic now, does anyone see any issues with this? Any other proposals?

-Alastair


From: Wilco Fiers <wilco.fiers@deque.com<mailto:wilco.fiers@deque.com>>
Sent: 06 May 2020 10:03
To: Alastair Campbell <acampbell@nomensa.com<mailto:acampbell@nomensa.com>>
Cc: WCAG list (w3c-wai-gl@w3.org<mailto:w3c-wai-gl@w3.org>) <w3c-wai-gl@w3.org<mailto:w3c-wai-gl@w3.org>>
Subject: Re: Add Dragging SC to WCAG 2.2 draft

Hey Alastair,
This doesn't really work yet. A "target" is a "region of the display". How can a "region of the display" "follow(s) the pointer until the up event"? The "region of the display" from which you can initiate the drag event probably stays where it is. There will likely be a visual indication that a drag is occuring, but it isn't the touch target region that's moving.

As for dragging where the element you're dragging doesn't follow, here's a small video of the example that came to mind:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yp2V0_XZpFo


Basically, hold down the button at the starting point, move the cursor while the button is down to draw a ruler which indicates distance, and to end the measurement you let go of the button. There are lots of other things you do with this "press down in one place", "move while holding down", "let go in another place for some effect" type of interactions that don't involve actually moving some object from one place in the UI to another.

Another example are games where you use dragging to indicate force and direction. Many snooker games work like that. You press down on the ball and you "drag" in the opposite direction you want the ball to move, the further away you drag, the greater the amount of force you impart on the ball when you let go.

Hope that helps,

Wilco

On Wed, May 6, 2020 at 10:10 AM Alastair Campbell <acampbell@nomensa.com<mailto:acampbell@nomensa.com>> wrote:
Hi Wilco,

I’m trying to make some progress on this one, I’ve adjusted the wording (thanks Glenda) and made the first use of “target” a link:
https://github.com/w3c/wcag/pull/1113/files#diff-8c0e9ad76dafdaba2b22e75a981e0f65


I didn’t understand your last comment on the game example though, could you clarify?

Kind regards,

-Alastair



From: Alastair Campbell

Hi Wilco,

> - In this definition of "dragging movement", does "target" refer to "target" as defined in WCAG 2.1. If so, should it be linked to the target definition?

We can link that, it seems like a minor change.


> - Also in "dragging movement", what is "directionality at the onset of the movement"? Was that added because of my comment on swiping? If so, I don't think that actually excludes swiping.

It isn’t intended to exclude swiping, but to capture things where the target goes with the movement. The gesture the user does might be identical to a swipe, but it only applies if the target element goes with the pointer.


> - Was the intent not to include dragging motions where instead of moving the "target" along with the pointer, some other UI indicator was used? For example some games when you drag something around will draw an arrow from the target to the drop position. The definition of "dragging movement" seems to exclude those kinds of drag and drop actions.

I don’t think I get this, if there is *also* an arrow showing where it can go, how does that affect the definition? It applies “until the up event", how is the drag & drop affected?

I also realised I linked up the wrong minutes, sorry, corrected in the PR, the latest one was here:
https://www.w3.org/2020/03/24-ag-minutes.html#item02


Cheers,

-Alastair


--
Wilco Fiers
Axe for Web product owner - Co-facilitator WCAG-ACT - Chair ACT-R
[cid:BCBD7D4B-677E-4B95-AE3F-60005DBD9EE4]