(Action item) Proposal for issue 348 (highlight of text, selection, focus)

Hello,

Per my action from the 17 November face-to-face meeting [1],
please consider this proposal for addressing issue 348 [2]
(characterized by Al as editorial). Checkpoint and other UAAG
references here are with respect to the 23 October draft [3].

[1] http://www.w3.org/WAI/UA/2000/11/minutes-20001116.html#issue-348
[2] http://server.rehab.uiuc.edu/ua-issues/issues-linear-lc2.html#348
[3] http://www.w3.org/TR/2000/WD-UAAG10-20001023/

========================
Summary of the proposal:
========================

1) Include requirements that the user agent provide mechanisms
for highlighting selection, focus, recently visited links, and
active elements.

2) Include requirements that, by default, the highlight
mechanisms (whether visual or aural) for selection, focus,
recently visited links, and active elements:
   
 a) Not rely on color alone.
 b) Differ from each other, and not by color alone.
 c) Differ in style from the user agent's default text style
    (e.g., color information, font information).

3) Include requirements that the user be able to configure how
   selection, focus, recently visited links, and active elements
   are highlighted.

4) Include a requirement that the user be able to configure 
   the default foreground and background colors for visually
   rendered text. 

5) Related ideas that are not requirements:

 a) Caution that user that if they override the defaults for 
    any one of these mechanisms, they may have to pay attention 
    to the others.
 b) Suggest that the user agent allow the user to configure
    them all at once.

============
CHECKPOINTS:
============

There is only one new checkpoint proposed (8.X, which is
essentially factored out of several others). There are also some
clarifications and harmonization done.


4.3 Allow the user to configure the foreground and background
   color of all text, with an option to override foreground and
   background colors specified by the author or user agent
   defaults. Allow the user to select from among the range of
   system colors.

     Note: User configuration of foreground and background colors
     may result in the inability to distinguish unhighlighted
     text from selected text, focused text, etc. See checkpoint
     8.X for more information about highlight styles.

   [This proposal supersedes:
    http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-ua/2000OctDec/0457.html]


4.17 Allow the user to configure how the content focus and
   current selection are highlighted (e.g., through foreground
   and background color, voice pitch, etc.).
      Note: See checkpoint 8.X for more information about
      highlight styles.

   [This proposal is based on the version from the 14 December teleconf:
    http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-ua/2000OctDec/0420.html]


8.2 Provide a mechanism for highlighting recently visited
   links.  Allow the user to configure the highlighting style.
      Note: See checkpoint 8.X for more information about
      highlight styles.

8.3 Provide a mechanism for highlighting links that have been
   marked up to indicate that following them will involve a fee
   ("fee links"). Allow the user to configure the highlighting
   style.
      Note: See checkpoint 8.X for more information about
      highlight styles.

  [However, refer to proposal to demote 8.3 and add a config
   requirement:
   http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-ua/2000OctDec/0458.html]


8.7 Provide a mechanism for highlighting the current
   viewport. The default highlight mechanism must not rely on
   color alone.


8.8 Provide a mechanism for highlighting active elements.
   Allow the user to configure the highlighting style.
     Note: For example, most graphical user agents highlight all
     the links on a page so that users know where to
     interact. See checkpoint 8.X for more information about
     highlight styles.


8.X Ensure that the default highlight styles for the
   selection, focus, active elements, recently visited links, and
   fee links (1) do not rely on color alone, and (2) differ from
   each other and not by color alone. [Priority 1]
      
     Note: For instance, a graphical user agent by default might
     present the selection using color and a dotted outline, the
     focus using a solid outline, active elements as underlined
     in blue, recently visited links as dotted underlined in
     purple, and fee links using a special icon or flag to draw
     the user's attention.

     Note: If the user overrides the default styling for any one
     of these mechanisms, the new styling may interfere with the
     others. Therefore, the user agent should allow the user to
     configure them all at once or should alert the user to
     potential conflicts when change are made.

======
ISSUES
======

1) For checkpoints 8.2, 8.3 and 8.8 (related to links and active
elements): Does the user agent have to show all active zones of a
client-size image map?  Does the user agent have to highlight as
a recently visited link a zone of an image map? Should these
checkpoints refer to text links alone?

==============
OTHER COMMENTS
==============

1) I support Jon's proposal to modify (essentially delete)
checkpoint 8.6 (issue 421):

http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-ua/2000OctDec/0447.html

Thank you,

 - Ian

-- 
Ian Jacobs (jacobs@w3.org)   http://www.w3.org/People/Jacobs
Tel:                         +1 831 457-2842
Cell:                        +1 917 450-8783

Received on Friday, 29 December 2000 15:31:28 UTC