RE: [#925] mandatory H1 (Braille Formatting)

My take on H1,

There are two issues hear. 

The first issue : is it important to use headers to represent the
logical structure of the page ?
The second issue: do headers need to start with an H1

My 2 cents

Issue one is exceedingly important. Having a good logical structure in a
document, and, having that structure correctly reflected in the mark up
helps people find there way around a document. It helps create
summaries, and schematics of a document, table of content, automatic
logical tabbing through content, and enables skimming for many use
groups such as the visibly impaired and people with learning
disabilities. 

I would suggest that this is an important requirement.

The second issue is good idea only when it upholds the first issue.
In other words when the first header logically is a header one, then it
must be marked as such. However sometimes the logic of the page the
first header is not a header one (such as a menu bas comes first with a
heading two).  It should not be marked as a header one to fulfill an
arbitrate check.

In other words starting with a header one is a good machine test that
headers are being used in order and correctly. It is true a lot of the
time. But as it is not true all the time I would not put it as  a
requirement.

keep well
L


> -----Original Message-----
> From: w3c-wai-gl-request@w3.org 
> [mailto:w3c-wai-gl-request@w3.org] On Behalf Of Jason White
> Sent: Friday, August 27, 2004 1:45 AM
> To: Jim Allan
> Cc: John M Slatin; WAI-GL
> Subject: RE: [#925] mandatory H1 (Braille Formatting)
> 
> 
> 
> Jim Allan writes:
>  > 
>  > Braille has only 3 levels of heading. Generally, the 
> translation software  > will style the first 3 levels of 
> heading in a imported document (h1-h3),  > there after the 
> heading level will be indicated programmatically within the  
> > braille editor, but will not apply any formatting to 
> heading levels 4-6. The  > author/transcriber of the braille 
> document may apply some styling/formatting  > to H4-H6, but 
> that is outside the bounds of the braille rules.
> 
> I assume you mean North American braille textbook format 
> rules, which are not universal even among countries where 
> English is the primary language. I just want to note that 
> whereas the above statements are probably correct for 
> official North American usage, it would be wrong to regard 
> them as true claims about braille formatting in general.
> 
> In some countries there are no official formatting guidelines 
> and the producer is free to create different styles for as 
> many levels of heading as desired, and is not expected to 
> follow any particular layout conventions.
> 
>

Received on Sunday, 29 August 2004 16:38:47 UTC