Re: PROPOSAL FOR HTML 4.01: MAP used for navigation mechanisms.

Ian,

The HTML WG agreed to this change yesterday at their telephone conference
call.

Best wishes,

Steven

----- Original Message -----
From: Ian Jacobs <ij@w3.org>
To: <w3c-html-wg@w3.org>; <steven.pemberton@cwi.nl>
Cc: <w3t-ui@w3.org>; <dsr@w3.org>; <w3c-wai-gl@w3.org>
Sent: Saturday, September 11, 1999 1:50 AM
Subject: PROPOSAL FOR HTML 4.01: MAP used for navigation mechanisms.


> Steven,
>
> The HTML 4.01 Proposed Recommendation [1] includes
> some changes to the content model of the MAP element [2]
> to allow mixing of block content and AREA elements:
>
> <!ELEMENT MAP - - ((%block;) | AREA)+ -- client-side image map -->
>
> This change was incorporated into HTML 4.0 [3] to allow authors
> to create richer non-graphical alternatives to image maps.
> The HTML 4.0 Recommendation used the wrong content model,
> however, but HTML 4.01 corrects that mistake.
>
> In HTML 4.01, the following text describes the role of
> the block content:
>
> <BLOCKQUOTE>
>    2. Block-level content. This content should include
>       A elements that specify the geometric regions of the
>       image map and the link associated with each region.
>       Note that the user agent may render block-level
>       content of a MAP element. Authors should use this
>       method to create more accessible documents.
> </BLOCKQUOTE>
>
> I am proposing two changes to the description of MAP,
> again to promote accessibility. The goal of the proposal
> is to make it easier for users of speech
> synthesizers and users with motor impairments
> to bypass navigation bars (groups of links).
> These groups of links often appear first on a page
> and are often repeated on many pages of a site. Often,
> the users cited must wade through numerous links
> before getting to important content on the page.
>
> If user agents can suppose that MAP may be used
> to identify navigation bars (or other navigation
> mechanisms), they can offer navigation bar
> hide/display functionality. The HTML 4.01 specification
> does not prohibit the use of MAP for general navigation
> mechanisms, but this proposal will make it more obvious
> that this is possible.
>
> The proposal involves two changes:
>
> Change 1) Change the second sentence of the above
>           quoted text to "User agents should
>           render block-level content of the MAP element." The
>           change is from "may render" to "should render".
>
>           In a number of current browsers tested, block-level
>           content is rendered, so this change conforms to
>           current practice and will not break pages.
>
> Change 2) Change the first sentence of section 13.6.1's
>           description of the MAP element from:
>
>            <BLOCKQUOTE>
>             The MAP element specifies a client-side
>             image map that may be associated with one or more
>             elements (IMG, OBJECT, or INPUT).
>            </BLOCKQUOTE>
>
>            to:
>
>             "The MAP element specifies a client-side
>             image map (or other navigation mechanism)
>             that may be associated with one or more
>             elements (IMG, OBJECT, or INPUT)."
>
>           Note that HTML 4.01 does not require that a MAP
>           be associated with an image (IMG, OBJECT, or
>           INPUT elements). Thus, an author could use
>           MAP with a list of links as content and no
>           associated image to create a navigation bar.
>
> I realize that this proposal comes during the Proposed
> Recommendation review period, but the changes would cost
> little and would help the WAI Guidelines Working Groups
> (Web Content, User Agent, Authoring Tool) who have been
> wrestling with this issue for quite some time. It would
> be a timely boon for the UA and AT Working Groups
> in particular as they have documents nearing Proposed
> Recommendation.
>
> Thank you for considering this proposal,
>
>   - Ian
>
>
> [1] http://www.w3.org/TR/1999/PR-html40-19990824
> [2] http://www.w3.org/TR/html40/struct/objects.html#h-13.6.1
> [3] http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/struct/objects.html#h-13.6.1
>
> --
> Ian Jacobs (jacobs@w3.org)   http://www.w3.org/People/Jacobs
> Tel/Fax:                     +1 212 684-1814
> Cell:                        +1 917 450-8783
>
>

Received on Thursday, 23 September 1999 04:15:14 UTC