RE: About ccategory- simple data tables with one header

Is the HTML specification for scope clear on the applicability of =row only pointing right?  Is it differently scoped in HTML4 vs. 5?  Can you point to it?  Interesting stuff for sure.



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-----Original Message-----
From: Jonathan Avila [mailto:jon.avila@ssbbartgroup.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, July 01, 2015 9:13 AM
To: w3c-wai-gl@w3.org
Subject: RE: About ccategory- simple data tables with one header 

There are just some situations where no cell acts as a row header.  In these situations there is no header cell and thus no need to indicate a row header.  Also of important note is the fact that the scope="row" attribute only applies to subsequent cells.  Thus, if scope = row is applied to cells in a header column such as the 3rd column then by definition in the HTML specification it does not apply cells in the columns before it.  This can be problematic in that it forces developers to organize columns in a certain way or forces developers to use ids and headers.

Also of confusion in the tutorial is the use of scope in examples with ids and headers.  There is no advice on whether use of scope alongside ids and headers is wrong or required.
http://www.w3.org/WAI/tutorials/tables/multi-level/ 
The tutorial also incorrectly states "By using the row value for scope assigns the header cells in the second column to data cells on the left and the right of the individual header cell."  When in fact it only applies to the right in LTR languages.

I do agree, it would be great to give clear guidance on when scope of row is required and not and what to do with header columns that are not in the first column as well as issues with using scope and id/headers together.

Jonathan

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-----Original Message-----
From: Sailesh Panchang [mailto:spanchang02@yahoo.com] 
Sent: Sunday, June 28, 2015 7:41 AM
To: w3c-wai-gl@w3.org
Subject: About ccategory- simple data tables with one header 

Here is an appeal: please reconsider the need to  single out "Tables with one header " as a separate category of simple tables in the tutorial [1]. If retained, revise the situations where they are suitable and the corresponding examples.
A simple data table must have both row and column headers marked up. There are perhaps very specific instances when this is not the case:
e.g. 1: A calendar grid typically has a row containing days of week (column headers) and no row header column. 
e.g. 2: The first column of a two-column data table has row identifiers or row headers. The table  may be devoid of a column header row.

The smallness of a  table with data itself being distinctly different in each column as stated in the tutorial [1] does not justify absence of row headers for those tables.

I am still looking for answers posed in my emails below:
https://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/wai-eo-editors/2015Jun/0041.html
https://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/wai-eo-editors/2015Jun/0033.html
[1] http://www.w3.org/WAI/tutorials/tables/one-header/
Thanks,
Sailesh Panchang

Received on Wednesday, 1 July 2015 13:19:46 UTC