Re: an attempt to refine the "active element" definition which was tied to "focus"

Comments in JRG:
At 12:34 PM 10/27/99 -0500, mark novak wrote:
> >   18.MN: Propose a new definition of active element, based on keyboard
> >navigation discussion at F2F meeting
>
>
>===== proposed=======
>
>Focus
>
>The user focus designates which element in a document is active. The
>element with focus is therefore referred to as the active element.  Which
>elements can take focus and thus be active depends on the document language,
>and whether those features are supported by the user agent. In HTML4.0
>documents, for example, elements which can take focus and are thus
>capable of being active elements include links, image maps, form
>controls, elements with a value for the "longdesc" attribute, and
>elements with associated scripts (event handlers) explicitly associated
>with them (e.g., through the various "on" attributes).  In the
>near future, it is expected that any element defined in the HTML document
>language, for example, will be able to accept the focus and thus could be
>defined as an active element.

JRG: I don't think we need the term "near future" since scripts can be 
attached to any element.


>Once an element has the user focus, it may be activated through any number of
>mechanisms, including the mouse, keyboard, an API, etc. The effect
>of activation again depends on the element and also whether the user agent
>supports that element being active.   For instance, when a link is
>activated, the user agent generally retrieves the linked resource.
>When a form control is activated, it may change state (e.g., check boxes)
>or may take user input (e.g., a text field). Activating an element with a
>script assigned for that particular activation mechanism (e.g., mouse
>down event, key press event, etc.) causes the script to be executed.
>
>A viewport has at most one focus. When several viewports co-exist,
>each may have a focus, but only one is active, called the current
>focus. The current focus is generally presented (e.g., highlighted)
>in a way that makes it stand out.
>
>
>
>
>
>==== original====
>
>The user focus designates an active element in a document. Which
>elements are active depends on the document language and whether
>the features are supported by the user agent. In HTML documents,
>for example, active elements include links, image maps, form
>controls, elements with a value for the "longdesc" attribute, and
>elements with associated scripts (event handlers) explicitly associated
>with them (e.g., through the various "on" attributes). An element
>with the focus may be activated through any number of mechanisms,
>including the mouse, keyboard, an API, etc. The effect of activation
>depends on the element. For instance, when a link is activated, the
>user agent generally retrieves the linked resource. When a form
>control is activated, it may change state (e.g., check boxes) or may
>take user input (e.g., a text field). Activating an element with a script
>assigned for that particular activation mechanism (e.g., mouse down
>event, key press event, etc.) causes the script to be executed. A
>viewport has at most one focus. When several viewports co-exist,
>each may have a focus, but only one is active, called the current
>focus. The current focus is generally presented (e.g., highlighted)
>in a way that makes it stand out.

Jon Gunderson, Ph.D., ATP
Coordinator of Assistive Communication and Information Technology
Chair, W3C WAI User Agent Working Group
Division of Rehabilitation - Education Services
College of Applied Life Studies
University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign
1207 S. Oak Street, Champaign, IL  61820

Voice: (217) 244-5870
Fax: (217) 333-0248

E-mail: jongund@uiuc.edu

WWW: http://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~jongund
WWW: http://www.w3.org/wai/ua

Received on Thursday, 28 October 1999 12:52:00 UTC