Re: Is WebGPU about to be used for user interface rendering

Nice to hear from you Janina. at least there are lessons that we learned from all of that. Will be helpful for the brave New World.

Thanks

Josh

> On 14 Mar 2024, at 12:22, Janina Sajka <janina@rednote.net> wrote:
> 
> Hi Josh:
> 
> Always great to hear from you, even in response to scary prospects like
> GPU rendered UI that bypasses a11y infrastructure! I've just proposed to
> my Co-Chair that we should take this up in planning ahead of APA's next
> teleconference on the 27th.  And, I agree that it's canvas all over
> again. <groan>
> 
> Janina
> 
> Joshue O'Connor writes:
>> Hi Jason,
>> 
>> I noticed in recent discussion of the Iced GUI library that there are plans to support the WebGPU API. This raises the possibility that WebGPU could be used to render an entire user interface, bypassing most, if not all, accessibility-related technologies on the Web.
>> That sounds like HTML 5 <canvas> element, and the resultant shadow DOM all
>> over again.
>> 
>> Plus ça change
>> 
>> 
>>   Joshue O'Connor
>> Director / InterAccess.ie
>> (+353) 01 961 0059
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> ------ Original Message ------
>>> From "Jason J.G. White" <jason@jasonjgw.net>
>> To "RQTF" <public-rqtf@w3.org>
>> Date 13/03/2024 14:11:33
>> Subject Is WebGPU about to be used for user interface rendering
>> 
>>> I noticed in recent discussion of the Iced GUI library that there are plans to support the WebGPU API. This raises the possibility that WebGPU could be used to render an entire user interface, bypassing most, if not all, accessibility-related technologies on the Web.
>>> 
>>> https://www.w3.org/TR/webgpu/
>>> 
>>> https://github.com/iced-rs/iced/blob/master/wgpu/README.md
>>> 
>>> It should be noted that, in the desktop application world, the recently released Zed text editor takes a similar approach - rendering most of its user interface directly to the GPU for performance reasons.
>>> 
>>> https://github.com/zed-industries/zed
>>> 
>>> The README file in that repository refers to a GitHub issue for "Web" support, so this could actually be heading to the browser environment as well. In desktop operating systems, of course, existing APIs could be implemented to support accessibility, but besides the Accessibility Object Model - still actively developed? - we don't have an equivalent for the Web, as far as I know.
>>> 
>>> We concluded at the RQTF meeting that this issue should be considered by the broader APA Working Group.
>>> 
>>> 
> 
> 
> 
> --
> 
> Janina Sajka (she/her/hers)
> Accessibility Consultant https://linkedin.com/in/jsajka
> 
> The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
> Co-Chair, Accessible Platform Architectures    http://www.w3.org/wai/apa
> 
> Linux Foundation Fellow
> https://www.linuxfoundation.org/board-of-directors-2/
> 

Received on Thursday, 14 March 2024 14:29:01 UTC