RE: clarification of table linearization

The question here is "which definition of linearization is most correct".

I would think that the one in the WCAG is the better definition.  First, it
lets you know what order (row or column) the cells will actually appear.
(They will appear in the order they are defined [in the HTML]. )    (Perhaps
in the future the phrase  "in the HTML" should be added to the text)

Second the WCAG says that they must make sense in the order that will result
or the order they will appear.   The techniques doc says that they should
make sense in row OR column order.   Actually, if you define them in row
order in HTML, then they would have to make sense in Row order.  You would
no longer have a row or column choice.    I think this is clearer in the
WCAG definition.

Gregg




-- ------------------------------
Gregg C Vanderheiden Ph.D.
Professor - Human Factors
Dept of Ind. Engr. - U of Wis.
Director - Trace R & D Center
Gv@trace.wisc.edu, http://trace.wisc.edu/
FAX 608/262-8848
For a list of our listserves send "lists" to listproc@trace.wisc.edu

 -----Original Message-----
From: 	w3c-wai-gl-request@w3.org [mailto:w3c-wai-gl-request@w3.org]  On
Behalf Of Wendy A Chisholm
Sent:	Tuesday, January 18, 2000 11:59 AM
To:	w3c-wai-gl@w3.org
Cc:	kasday@pop3.concentric.net
Subject:	clarification of table linearization

There has been a request for clarification from the Evaluation and Repair
tools working group regarding table linearization.  The group referred to
the definition in the glossary of WCAG 1.0, while I thought the
interpretation in the Techniques for WCAG 1.0 was preferred.  Regardless,
the two definitions are out of synch and we need to fix that.

thoughts?

compare the techniques document
http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT-TECHS/#tables-layout (section 4.5.2)
<blockquote>
Authors should use style sheets for layout and positioning. However, when
it is necessary to use a table for layout, the table must linearize in a
readable order. When a table is linearized, the contents of the cells
become a series of paragraphs (e.g., down the page) one after another.
Cells should make sense when read in order (row-wise or column-wise) and
should include structural elements (that create paragraphs, headers, lists,
etc.) so the page makes sense after linearization.
</blockquote>

with the definition in the glossary of WCAG
http://www.w3.org/TR/1999/WAI-WEBCONTENT-19990505/wai-pageauth.html#lineariz
ed-table

<blockquote>A table rendering process where the contents of the cells
become a series of paragraphs (e.g., down the page) one after another. The
paragraphs will occur in the same order as the cells are defined in the
document source. Cells should make sense when read in order and should
include structural elements (that create paragraphs, headers, lists, etc.)
so the page makes sense after linearization.
</blockquote>

--wendy
--
wendy a chisholm
world wide web consortium
web accessibility initiative
madison, wi usa
tel: +1 608 663 6346
/--

Received on Tuesday, 18 January 2000 22:34:22 UTC