[whatwg] [HTML5] 2.9.8. The dfn element

| 2.9.8. The |dfn| element

| The |dfn| element enables automatic cross-references. Specifically,
| any |span|, |abbr|, |code|, |var|, |samp|, or |i| element that has a
| non-empty |title| attribute whose value exactly equals the [term] of a
| |dfn| element in the same document, or which has no |title| attribute
| but whose |textContent| exactly equals the [term] of a |dfn| element
| in the document, and that has no [interactive elements] or |dfn|
| elements either as ancestors or descendants, and has no other
| elements as ancestors that are themselves matching these conditions,
| should be presented in such a way that the user can jump from the
| element to the first |dfn| element giving the defining instance of
| that term.

Despite being a quite complex description already, should or rather may 
this include definitions in documents referenced inside the document by 
a |link| element instance of |rel| "glossary"?

Why should the following example not work?

   <p>The <dfn><abbr title="Dial Home Device">DHD</abbr></dfn>
   is a device that allows off-world teams to open the iris.</p>
   <!-- ... later in the document: -->
   <p>Teal'c activated his <abbr>DHD</abbr> and so Hammond ordered
   the iris to be opened.</p>

IOW, I think the special case of an |abbr| with |title| (and perhaps 
some other element types that assign special semantics to this 
attribute) inside a |dfn| should generate to [term]s, one for the 
abbreviation and one for the expanded form. I consider repeating 
|title|s on |abbr|s excessive markup.

Received on Tuesday, 21 March 2006 06:49:10 UTC