Re: Regarding ARIA drag and drop?

Actually I think I see a way of doing this.

The setup script can specify the drop target name at the same time as it's 
locale, and then render conditional drag links with each draggable object, 
one for each drop zone if more than one is present, and simply specify to 
drag to that locale using its unique name as the reference.

So a keyboard user would only need press Enter on the drag link for a 
particular drop zone to have it be moved, and a touch device user could do 
the same via the link selector by swiping up and down to pick which objects 
to move and to where by double tapping once. This would take less 
interactions to accomplish than a menu, and would negate all of the issues 
associated with interacting with a menu via touch for every object.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Joseph Scheuhammer" <clown@alum.mit.edu>
To: "Bryan Garaventa" <bryan.garaventa@ssbbartgroup.com>; "James Craig" 
<jcraig@apple.com>
Cc: "public-pfwg" <public-pfwg@w3.org>
Sent: Friday, March 14, 2014 1:19 PM
Subject: Re: Regarding ARIA drag and drop?


> Hi Bryan,
>
> Your example has resurrected misgivings I've had about keyboard-based 
> drag-and-drop.  What follows might seem as an attack on your work.  It 
> isn't; I'm using it as a springboard.
>
> Specifically with respect to your example:  if the goal is to move books 
> from the shelf to the shopping cart, then I would add a button or context 
> menu to each book icon that allowed the user to move it to the cart with 
> one gesture.  That button/menuitem would be accessible to mouse, touch, or 
> keyboard depending on the device.
>
> The sequence of TAB to focus, ENTER to grab, TAB to drop target, ENTER to 
> release, etc. is awkward.  At least, I find it so.  As a user, once I have 
> focus on a book, and I know I want to purchase it, why can't I simply 
> indicate that with one keystroke (or mouse click, or touch, or voice 
> command)?
>
> With respect to my misgivings:  drag-and-drop is essentially a 
> GUI/pointing-device sequence of gestures.  Trying to mimic that process 
> using a series of keystrokes is misguided if it's the first or only 
> attempt at a keyboard alternative.  The UI development should begin by 
> focusing on what the user is trying to accomplish and use that as a guide. 
> In the context of your example, it's a matter of moving books between the 
> book shelf and the shopping cart.  That should be the starting point: 
> what simple, intuitive gesture(s) can accomplish that goal?  I don't think 
> the whole ARIA drag-and-drop keyboard machinery is needed here.  And, for 
> other contexts, while it might turn out that it is appropriate, that 
> should be the outcome of the design, not the presupposition.
>
> End of rant.
>
> Otherwise, your example is an interesting exploration of the issue. It 
> feels like a lot of work and research -- thanks for posting it.
>
> -- 
> ;;;;joseph.
>
>
> 'A: After all, it isn't rocket science.'
> 'K: Right. It's merely computer science.'
>              - J. D. Klaun -
>
>

Received on Friday, 14 March 2014 21:21:26 UTC