Re: Visible controls

Hey Alastair,
The issue is in the definition of user interface component (UIC). It says:
> a part of the content that is *perceived* by users as a single control
for a distinct function

By definition, something can not be a UIC until it is *perceivable* in some
way. Taken literally, this SC is self-defeating. In a page state where the
control is not perceivable, the information does not need to be visible,
because the control isn't (yet) a UIC. Arguably something that isn't
visible shouldn't be classified as a control either. You can't pass 1.4.1
Audio Control with a control that nobody can perceive.

I agree with you that the phrasing of it needs work, but in my opinion this
SC needs to be explicit about it only applying to controls that can be
revealed through hover or focus.



On Thu, Jan 28, 2021 at 1:51 PM Alastair Campbell <acampbell@nomensa.com>
wrote:

> > *For user interface components that appear on pointer hover or focus*,
> information needed to identify that user interface components is visible
> without requiring pointer hover or keyboard focus, except when:
>
>
>
> I find that confusing, it appears to say “for these things which are not
> visible unless you hover/focus, make sure there is something visible
> without hover/focus”.
>
>
>
> I know it is saying virtually the same thing, but it reads like it’s
> asking you to put placeholders in for each thing that appears on
> hover/focus. I’m not sure it covers the scenario where one ‘edit’ indicator
> reveals multiple controls on hover.
>
>
>
> I’d be interested to know if other people find it more or less confusing
> than the current text
> <https://raw.githack.com/w3c/wcag/wcag22-visible-controls-update/understanding/22/visible-controls.html>?
>
>
> I might be in a wood-for-the-trees situation.
>
>
>
>
>
> > RIght, but the SC doesn't say it's only applicable to controls that show
> up on hover or focus. It applies to all UICs, which apparently includes
> components before they are even rendered.
>
>
>
> I don’t follow that, what gives you the impression it is about un-rendered
> things? We are not writing this from a technical point of view (about
> whether things are in the DOM or not), although we should try not to clash
> with the terminology.
>
>
>
> User interface components (UICs) can be present on a page (rendered?) but
> not visible until hover/focus, and WCAG applies whatever state the page is
> in. (E.g. text contrast applies no matter the state of a button.)
>
>
>
> Also, it doesn’t apply to the UIC, it applies to the information
> indicating there is a UIC. That might be the UIC, or it might be something
> that shows it is there if you hover over something (one form of passing).
>
>
>
> I read it as applying to the information, the indicator of a control
> needing to exist (with exceptions), so a basic test would be to hover over
> every element and see if there are controls contained in the hover-content.
>
>
>
> -Alastair
>


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