Client/Server-side image maps

> 2.3.[REQUIRED] Ensure that image map information is accessible and keyboard navigable.
...
>      When a server-side image map must be used, authors should 
>      provide an alternative list of image map choices.  If an
>      alternative list of links follows the image map, authors 
>      should indicate with the "alt" attribute of the IMG element the
>      existence and location of the alternative list.  A more 
>      straightforward solution, although newer and less backwards

I can think of only two cases where server-side image maps are required
over client-side:

1. Link exchange programs. Here it is often impossible to include
redundant text based links because the image and its region's link
change
each time it is viewed. Many professional pages simply regenerate
HTML with new images, alt text, etc. In this case, client-side image
maps
could be used.

2. Programs like mapquest (www.mapquest.com). In this case, the user
is asked to click on a point in a geographical map to enlarge an area. 
This is an entirely visual metaphor and there is no way to provide a 
list of text-links for it.

I don't know if folks can think of any other situations, but I think
the recommendation for providing a list of redundant links for
server-side maps
is not quite correct. Further, a list of redundant text-links 
can actually be helpful even if client-side image maps are used.

Josh Krieger
CAST

Received on Monday, 1 June 1998 09:03:27 UTC