ATAG 3.2 WCAG 1.1 (techniques for FRAMESETS)

General Note: Items enclosed in brackets could slash should be hyperlinked; 
a list of hyperlink references appears at the end of this proposed technique.

ATAG Checkpoint 3.2
Help the author create structured content and separate information from its 
presentation. [Relative Priority]

WCAG correspondence -- WCAG Checkpoint 1.1
Provide a text equivalent for every non-text element (e.g., via "alt", 
"longdesc", or in element content). This includes:images, graphical 
representations of text (including symbols), image map regions, animations 
(e.g., animated GIFs), applets and programmatic objects, ascii art, frames, 
scripts, images used as list bullets, spacers, graphical buttons, sounds 
(played with or without user interaction), stand-alone audio files, audio 
tracks of video, and video. [Priority 1]

Techniques for ATAG 3.2

HTML Techniques

1. For a [FRAMESET]

1.A Prompt the author for a TITLE for the FRAMESET; default text presented 
in the prompt could use the TITLE defined for the NOFRAMES section of the 
FRAMESET, if one has been defined; conversely, if a NOFRAMES section has 
not been defined for the FRAMESET, the value of the TITLE attribute defined 
for the FRAMESET could be recycled by the tool for use as the TITLE 
contained in the NOFRAMES section

1.B Prompt the author for a TITLE for each FRAME in a FRAMESET; default 
text presented in the prompt could use the TITLE defined for the document 
referenced in the SRC

1.C Prompt the author to add a NOFRAMES section to the FRAMESET

1.C.1. Encourage the author to make the content of the [NOFRAMES] as robust 
as possible. Sample verbiage:

In order to avoid content replication, the links contained in the 
navigational frame should be replicated in a structured manner in the 
NOFRAMES section defined for the FRAMESET.  Thus, one should replicate the 
navigational links in either an ordered, unordered, or (where appropriate) 
definition list.  One can also add additional content (such as a 
disclaimer, usage policy, or quick search form) which may appear in other 
"static" (i.e. non-scrolling) FRAMES that have been defined for the 
FRAMESET) to the NOFRAMES section, as well, as it is the FRAMESET page 
containing the NOFRAMES element that will be bookmarked by a user whose 
user agent either cannot render FRAMES graphically, or which has been 
configured not to render FRAMES.  Thus, it is useful to consider NOFRAMES 
content as the FRAMESET's home, or index, page for frames-incapable browsers.

1.D Prompt the author for a LONGDESC for each FRAME

1.D.1 Inform the author of the purpose and function of the LONGDESC 
attribute for FRAME. Sample verbiage (extracted from the HTML 4.01 
specification)

The LONGDESC attribute allows authors to make frame documents more 
accessible to people using non-visual user agents. This attribute 
designates a resource that provides a long description of the frame. 
Authors should note that long descriptions associated with frames are 
attached to the frame, not the frame's contents. Since the contents may 
vary over time, the initial long description is likely to become 
inappropriate for the frame's later contents. In particular, authors should 
not include an image as the sole content of a frame.

1.D.2. If an author defines a LONGDESC for a FRAME, but does not provide 
NOFRAMES content for the FRAMESET as a whole, prompt the author to provide 
NOFRAMES content, as well

2.  For an [IFRAME]

2.A. Prompt the author for a TITLE for each IFRAME

2.A.1. The prompt must stress that the TITLE must be "human-readable" in 
order to provide someone using a non-graphical user agent, which might 
expose the existence of the IFRAME to a user by using the text-string 
contained in the TITLE as a hyperlink, a reason to expose the content of 
the IFRAME

2.B. Prompt the author for a LONGDESC for each IFRAME

2.B.1. The LONGDESC should supplement the short description provided using 
the TITLE attribute, and -- in cases where the content of the IFRAME is 
scripted -- should provide a text equivalent of the content of the IFRAME


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REFERENCES
[FRAMESET] in the HTML 4.01  Recommendation
http://www.w3.org/TR/html401/present/frames.html#h-16.2.1

[NOFRAMES] in the HTML 4.01 Recommendation
http://www.w3.org/TR/html401/present/frames.html#edef-NOFRAMES

[LONGDESC] attribute for FRAME in the HTML 4.01 Recommendation
http://www.w3.org/TR/html401/present/frames.html#h-16.4.2

[IFRAME] element in the HTML 4.01 Recommendation
http://www.w3.org/TR//html401/present/frames.html#edef-IFRAME
--------------------------------------------------------
He that lives on Hope, dies farting
      -- Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanack, 1763
--------------------------------------------------------
Gregory J. Rosmaita <unagi69@concentric.net>
    WebMaster and Minister of Propaganda, VICUG NYC
         <http://www.hicom.net/~oedipus/vicug/index.html>
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Received on Thursday, 24 February 2000 17:15:08 UTC