Re: Guidelines Implementation

To your Check Point 1.1A:
Valid ALT text:
Allowed - ALT attribute value of "" 
Only IF (NOT inside of A HREF) OR link is also referenced via text.  This
can be tested by algorithm, so it is either allowed or not allowed.  (Human
intervention/consideration is NOT needed.)

Suggested for discussion:
ALT="" is NOT allowed.  (This rule is much simpler!)  ALT=" " is
permissible as an alternative.
ALT=" " is treated as "suspicious" and generates a warning to the effect
of: "Is this graphic purely decoration and devoid of content?"

Rational:
With the Lynx text browser, ALT="" hides the image (and any embeded link). 
The image is completely invisible unless one issues a "view source"
command.  Any associate link is likewise invisible, unless one issues a
"view links" command.  (Exception: iff ALL links on a page are hidden in
this way, Lynx will generate a warning message.)
ALT=" " will generate [ ] in Lynx.  This might be viewed as unattractive
and pointless, but at least the user knows that something is there.  If the
[ ] is part of a link, it will (with the default settings) be assigned a
link number and is (in any case) be able to be selected and activated as is
the case with any other hypertext link.

Bruce Bailey, DORS Webmaster
http://www.dors.state.md.us/
410/554-9211

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From: Chris Ridpath <chris.ridpath@utoronto.ca>
To: WAI ER IG List <w3c-wai-er-ig@w3.org>
Subject: Guidelines Implementation
Date: Tuesday, May 18, 1999 1:55 PM

Hello all,

As part of the evaluation and repair process, we need to create a set of
specifications for implementing the WAI page author guidelines. The specs
would be used by A-Prompt and Bobby in the design of our software. The
specs should be written with the following goals:

- precise enough for use by software programmers
- simple enough for everyone to understand and comment upon
- complete implementation of the WAI page author guidelines

I've started a document that might fulfil these goals and would like your
comments and suggestions. The doc is stored at:
http://aprompt.snow.utoronto.ca/Implementation.html

This document is not complete and is a rough first draft!

I would like to see the document finished reasonably soon (end of June
perhaps) so that we can code the software.

Please take a look and let me know if you have any comments.

Chris

Received on Thursday, 20 May 1999 13:43:57 UTC