Re: Guideline 7 - 7.1, 7.2, 7.4, 7.5

I've inserted a comment below identified with KB

At 12:12 PM 12/4/99 , Ian Jacobs wrote:
>Kitch Barnicle wrote:
>> 
>
>> 7.2 For user agents that offer a browsing history mechanism, when the user
>> returns to a previous view, restore the point of regard in the viewport.
>> [Priority 1]
>> 
>> For example, when users navigate "back" and "forth" among views, for
each view
>> they should find the viewport position where they left it.
>> 
>> Current Techniques: None
>> 
>> Comment: I think we need to make a distinction between the situation when a
>> user hits the "back" and "forward" buttons versus the situation where
the user
>> choose a page from the list of pages in a history view. When a user hits
the
>> back button, I believe that not only should the view return to its previous
>> position but the focus should return to the "last item" that had focus.
>> This is
>> especially important for users who are using sequential navigation (e.g.
>> tabbing).  However, when the user chooses a page from a history list I
don't
>> think the view or focus needs to be restored to where it was the last
time the
>> user was on that page. Does that make sense? I don't want developers to be
>> confused because the checkpoint mentions "history mechanism."  Is this
issue
>> covered some place else?
>
>I'm not sure what "issue" you mean. Can you explain more why it's not
>interesting to have the focus restored in all cases?

KB:  Ian, I don't use my history list that often, that is I don't go
looking through
my history list for some page that I know I have visited before but when i
do use
my history list I think of it more like a bookmarked page. When I use a
bookmark I "expect"
to be placed at the top of the page. So that is why I raised the distinction
when I was looking at the techniques for this checkpoint. 

This is where some usability data would come in handy so that we'd know
what people were "expecting" when they use a feature. So yes, it probably
is more interesting to have focus restored in all cases. As an physics
teacher once told me (using different terms), if history and bookmark where
the 
same thing they would be spelled the same.

Does anyone else use the history list like I do?

Kitch


> 
>> Suggested Technique: When a user returns to a previous view using a user
>> agents
>> "back" and "forward" function, restore the point of regard in that view and
>> return the focus to the item that last held focus in that view.
> 
>> 7.5 Allow the user to navigate just among all active elements. [Priority 2]
>> Refer also to checkpoint 7.4.
>> 
>> Techniques:
>> 
>> Current Technique 1: *Sequential navigation includes all active
elements. User
>> agents might provide other navigation mechanisms limited to a particular
type
>> of element. For example "Find the next table" or "Find the previous
form". The
>> following techniques suggest some types of navigation.
>> 
>> Suggested Revision: Allow the user to sequential navigate through all
active
>> elements using a single keystroke (e.g. tab key, key of user's choice).
User
>> agents might provide other sequential navigation mechanisms limited to a
>> particular type of element. For example "Find the next table" or "Find the
>> previous form". The following techniques suggest some types of navigation.
>> 
>> Comment: Is serial navigation different from sequential navigation? They
mean
>> the same thing to me.
>
>I agree. I propose using "Sequential navigation" but "serial rendering".
>(I wouldn't object to using only the term "serial", but for now I'll
>just harmonize usage in the document.)
> 
> - Ian
>
>-- 
>Ian Jacobs (jacobs@w3.org)   http://www.w3.org/People/Jacobs
>Tel/Fax:                     +1 212 684-1814
>Cell:                        +1 917 450-8783
>

Received on Monday, 6 December 1999 08:06:07 UTC