- From: David MacDonald <befree@magma.ca>
- Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2006 09:47:04 -0500
- To: "'Christophe Strobbe'" <christophe.strobbe@esat.kuleuven.be>, <w3c-wai-gl@w3.org>
- Cc: <akirkpatrick@macromedia.com>, <lguarino@adobe.com>, "'Gregg Vanderheiden'" <gv@trace.wisc.edu>
I would also support the use of the word "Hyperlink" instead of "programmatic reference" in 2.4.5. "Programmatic Reference" is our term that we made up, and has never been used in this context (to my knowledge). As such it requires an extra cognitive load for people reading the guidelines to understand SC 2.4.5. That is the only appearance the term makes in the 2.0 Guidelines. Three people have asked me why we don't just say "Hyperlink". My understanding of the rationale is that it is an HTML specific word, but I think Christophe might make a good point. "After all, web content is 'hypertext' (HTTP: HyperText Transfer Protocol)." The only other reason I can think of for using "programmatic reference" is that in the "How to Meet..." doc we include HTML techniques "Frame titles", and "Providing alternate text for the area element" But frame element has been deprecated, and the Map element is a kind of hyperlink so I don't see those as good reasons for not using the word Hyperlink. Perhaps we could ask our "non-HTML" technology representatives like Loretta (PDF) and Andrew Kirkpatrick (Flash) for some input. Would you folks have any objection to the word "Hyperlink" in 2.4.5? Perhaps there will at some time in the future be a reason not to include the word hyperlink, but I think the trade off of better understanding might make the word "Hyperlink" worth considering over "programmatic reference" in the 2.0. David MacDonald .Access empowers people .barriers disable them. www.eramp.com -----Original Message----- From: w3c-wai-gl-request@w3.org [mailto:w3c-wai-gl-request@w3.org] On Behalf Of Christophe Strobbe Sent: Friday, January 06, 2006 4:53 AM To: w3c-wai-gl@w3.org Subject: Re: Bug 1649 Definition of "Programmatic Reference" At 02:16 6/01/2006, David MacDonald wrote: <blockquote> The term " Programmatic Reference " is used but not defined. I think it is being used here to mean something functional (e.g. a link or control) that causes a contextual transition, but I'm not sure. "2.4 L2 SC4: The destination of each programmatic reference to another delivery unit is identified through words or phrases that either occur in text or can be programmatically determined."] (...) programmatic reference <proposed> A cross-reference method to enable the retrieval of a specified delivery unit or movement to another part of the same delivery unit. A link or control that causes a contextual transition. </proposed> </blockquote> The definition looks good. "cross-reference method to enable" could also be replaced with "relationship that enables"; "link" in the last sentence could be replaced with "function"; and it is the activation of the link/control that causes the contextual transition, not the link/control itself. So it would become: <proposed> A relationship that enables the retrieval of a specified delivery unit or movement to another part of the same delivery unit. A function or control that can be used to cause a contextual transition. </proposed> What do you think? David also wrote: <blockquote> A Google search makes it appear that we are the first ones to use the term "Programmatic Reference" in this manner. </blockquote> The proposal for the definition makes me wonder why we don't use the term hyperlink. After all, web content is 'hypertext' (HTTP: HyperText Transfer Protocol). Even VoiceXML files are text (before speech synthesis is applied to them) and use URLs to relationships with other files or anchors in files (e.g. in the attributes 'next' and 'nextitem' of the 'goto' element, the 'next' attribute in the 'choice' element, the 'src' attribute of the 'subdialog' element and the 'next attribute of the 'link' element). "Programmatic reference" has other connotations; for example, reference variables for objects in object-oriented programming languages are also "programmatic references". Regards, Christophe Strobbe -- Christophe Strobbe K.U.Leuven - Departement of Electrical Engineering - Research Group on Document Architectures Kasteelpark Arenberg 10 - 3001 Leuven-Heverlee - BELGIUM tel: +32 16 32 85 51 http://www.docarch.be/ Disclaimer: http://www.kuleuven.be/cwis/email_disclaimer.htm
Received on Friday, 6 January 2006 14:47:50 UTC