Re: Keyboard navigation in a web page

hi Lake:

from what I've read on the list, you've gotten some great feedback already, and
I'd encourage you to consider attending the face to face user agent group
meeting
that the chair, Jon Gunderson mentioned to you in a previous email, I think it
was yesterday.

while you are reading your way through the many comments you've already
received, I'd like to encourage you and Netscape to take a long and hard look
at the problem of web based table navigation.  The user agent group has
discussed this at length.  After identifying tables, one has to get the
"focus" into
a table, and then one needs to be able to navigate around within a table.  Some
of the latest DOM 2 developments, with an improved "focus" event may help
address the first issue.  Anyway, the user agent documents have checkpoints
dealing with table navigation and several very good techniques
listed to address this problem.  Please review the techniques portion of
the user agent documentation that covers tables, and if you have any questions,
or other suggestions, please just ask.  I know Jon gave you the URL, but
I'll do so again here.  The latest drafts can be found off
the user agent page at:

http://www.w3.org/WAI/UA/

at Trace, we've also tried to put some of these table navigation ideas into
proof of concept scripts or programs.  If you'd like to visit our web site
and experiment, that would also be great.  Like everyone, our limited resources
have not allowed us to develop these ideas  as fully as we'd like, so you'll
have to load a recent copy of internet explorer if you wish to run the
samples.
The power toy scripts, etc., include all the source script.  Look in the
navigation and reading tools section.

http://trace.wisc.edu/world/doc_access/

mark


At 2:33 PM 10/6/99, Lakespur Roca wrote:
>I didn't get a response to my inquiry earlier so I thought I'd try again
>but being more specific.
>
>Netscape is working as we speak on a new browser. I have the
>responsibility of finding where the keyboard navigation through a web
>page can be fixed or improved. What I would like to know from you is are
>there specific areas where keyboard navigation through a page can be
>improved or breaks.
>Do you want a to skip to the bottom of a table? Are the methods of
>visually showing what has focus easy to see? Does tabbing through the
>items in a page work for you? What do you think about Shift+Tab to "Tab"
>backwards through a page? Is there something that works real well that
>you don't want touched? These are the kinds of things I would like to
>know.
>
>Lake Roca
>Usability Engineer
>Netscape communications

Received on Thursday, 7 October 1999 10:17:06 UTC