Re: Addition to Techniques for UAAG 9.4

"Gregory J. Rosmaita" wrote:
> 
> aloha!

Hi Gregory,

My comments below prefaced by IJ:.
 
> since the 10 march 2000 techniques for UAAG Checkpoint 9.4
> 
> quote
> When loading content (e.g., document, image, audio, video, etc.)
> indicate what proportion of the content has loaded and whether
> loading has stalled. [Priority 3]
> unquote
> 
> includes the following,
> 
> quote
> + Allow users to configure what status information they want
>    rendered. Useful status information includes:
>        * Document proportions (numbers of lines, pages, width,
>          etc.)
>        * Number of elements of a particular type (e.g., tables)
>        * The viewport is at the beginning or end of the document.
>        * Size of document in bytes
> unquote
> 
> i would like the following added:
> 
> 1. add the words forms and headers to the parenthetical aside following
> sub-ordinate unordered list item 2
> 
>          (e.g. tables, forms, headers)
> 
> 2. edit the third sub-ordinate unordered list item to read:
> 
> quote
> The viewport is at the beginning or end of the document, or when it is in a
> form or table
> unquote
> 
> 3. add the following as subordinate unordered list items:
> 
> quote
>        * Number of form controls in each form (e.g. "Page contains
>          one form containing six text-entry fields, a fieldset containing
>          seven checkboxes, a fieldset containing 3 radio buttons, a
>          submit and reset button.")
>        * Number of form controls in each FIELDSET
>        * Allow the user to configure the user agent so that an alert/cue
>           is issued when the user when the end of a table or form is
>           encountered
>               + Ensure that end-of-element alerts/cues are available in a
>                  device independent manner and a range of media The
>                  user should not be limited to only one alert mechanism.
> unquote
> 
> a few notes:
> 
> 1) the example of a notification message included parenthetically in the
> first asterisked item -- (e.g. "Page contains
> one form containing six text-entry fields, a fieldset containing seven
> checkboxes, a fieldset containing 3 radio buttons, a submit button and a
> reset button.") represents only a minimal satisfaction of this
> checkpoint...  perhaps this could be noted, and a richer example included,
> such as:
> 
> (e.g. Page contains one form containing six text-entry fields; a fieldset
> entitled "Choose your favorite deadly sins" containing seven checkboxes; a
> fieldset entitled "How often do you confess your sins" containing 3 radio
> buttons; a submit button and a reset button."
> 
> the point being that the user should be able to configure the user agent so
> that the notification is as verbose or as terse as that individual
> desires...    while the default example is terse (as it identifies only the
> type, number, and grouping of the controls in the form), a user may wish to
> configure the user agent (or adaptive technology, if it chooses to make
> this information available by accessing the DOM) to include extended
> semantic information (i.e. the legend defined for a fieldset, the label of
> each text-entry or text-area field), or may wish to exclude certain types
> of form controls, or selectively choose what extended semantic information
> will be exposed (i.e. expand the LEGEND for each FIELDSET; expand the
> labels associated with all text entry fields; enumerate the number of radio
> and checkboxes, but do not expand the labels associated with them; etc.)

IJ: You requested information about the number of controls in a form,
but your example is a linearization of the structure of the form, which
is very different. I am a little nervous about exploring natural
language 
solutions to descriptions of structure. I personally would find it 
difficult to hear the English-language linearization of anything more
than a simple form. I think I would find more useful a structured
navigation mechanism with the ability to query an element for title
information or other metadata. 

Please elaborate on whether "the number of controls in a form" would
meet your needs or whether you want structured information presented.
 
> 2) i considered prefacing the last asterisked item with the phrase quote If
> the user agent supports a system caret or "show cursor" option unquote, but
> removed it as i think it extraneous...
> 
> 3) i'm not quite sure whether the last asterisked item belongs in the
> Techniques for this checkpoint, or would be more appropriately added to the
> Accessibility Issues Section entitled "4.11 Forms"

IJ: I don't this technique belongs in the section on loading. It sounds
like a navigation technique that could be generalized to something like:
"Alert the user when navigation has led to the beginning or end of a
structure
(e.g., end of a list, end of a form, table row or column end, etc.)"

 - Ian

-- 
Ian Jacobs (jacobs@w3.org)   http://www.w3.org/People/Jacobs
Tel:                         +1 831 429-8586
Cell:                        +1 917 450-8783

Received on Monday, 27 March 2000 13:26:42 UTC