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

comments at MN:

At 11:56 AM 10/28/99, Jon Gunderson wrote:
>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.

MN:  Fine change by me.


>
>
>>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 Friday, 29 October 1999 11:36:51 UTC