Px and WCAG 1 checkpoint 3.4 Re: Javascript question

Hi John,

Short answer: I don't think that pixels are relative *in the sense
intended by the checkpoint* - that is, relative to easily user-adjusted
sizes like window size or font-size.

I believe I have a fair claim to saying what was intended by the
checkpoint, since (I believe :-) I proposed the checkpoint in the first
place.

A while ago there was a big thread about this question. Around the end of
it I went digging through the "recorded history" to check my memory, and
came up with the following (see
http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-ig/2004JulSep/0264 for the
message/thread):

http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-gl/1998AprJun/0251.html
seemed to be the first time the suggestion to keep units relative was made.

There is an assertion that I wrote what amounts to the current checkpoint
made a few months later when it was shiny and new -
http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-gl/1998JulSep/0092 is the end
of that thread.

I don't think I did a great job on the checkpoint, but I think I have
explained what I meant in a way that has been very consistent over the
subsequent 6 years.

I have actually proposed to make an erratum -
http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-gl/2004JanMar/0187 - to
clarify the apparent confusion. But the group is focussing mainly on WCAG
2, so these things take time...

cheers

Chaals

-- 
Charles McCathieNevile           charles@sidar.org
                 http://www.sidar.org

<quote who="John Carpenter">


> "3.4 Use relative rather than absolute units in markup language
> attribute values and style sheet property values."
>
> Are pixels classified as relative units?  (For menu width, not font
> size)

Received on Friday, 7 January 2005 05:54:59 UTC