Re: SCOPE vs. ID/HEADER

On Thu, 12 Sep 2002, Steve Vosloo wrote:

>I've always used ID and HEADER attributes when creating accessible data
>tables, but after reading the Access Board's bit for 508 compliant
>tables, I might user SCOPE instead. From what they say SCOPE is as
>widely recognised by user agents and it is definitely easier to
>implement.
>
>Any thoughts on why we don't all simply use SCOPE and code our tables in
>a tenth of the time?

Browser makers implemented headers first, so that is what people started
recomending. When browser makers didn't implement scope people got laughed at
for suggesting using it (understandable really) with the result that people
who write sites got given the hard way first, and had to wait for the simple
solution to be useful.

Unfortunately (but again understanably really) users don't change their
systems very often. So you don't get to take advantage of the newer features
(well in terms of implementation - these were all proposed in '96 or '97) to
make your life easier until users go through the process of upgrading, unless
you are happy leaving a whole lot of users in the cold.

Chaals

Received on Thursday, 12 September 2002 04:31:20 UTC