1.9.2 Source View: showing modified source

On the last call Kelly suggested that the user should have access to a source view reflecting changes by scripts, etc. The relevant SC and its Intent paragraph currently read:

    "1.9.2 Source View: The user can view all source text that is available to the user agent. (Level AAA)

    Intent: The source view is the ultimate fallback for a person with disabilities when the browser cannot properly render some content, or when the user cannot take advantage of the content as rendered or using the mechanisms provided."


We could make his change a normative requirement by modifying the SC or adding a Note, or we could make it merely a recommendation by adding text to the Intent.

Here is a proposal for modifying the SC:

    "1.9.2 Source View: The user can view all source text that is available to the user agent, both as it was originally loaded and reflecting changes made within the user agent (e.g. by scripts, extensions, or user actions). (Level AAA)"


Alternatively, here is a Note that could follow the existing SC:

    "Note: If the user agent allows content to be modified after it was loaded (e.g. by user action, content scripts, or extensions), it is expected to let the user view both the original source and a version reflecting those changes."


(Note that the phrase "after it was loaded" is included so that it can't be mistaken for merely reloading the source file in case it had been edited outside of the user agent.)

Finally, here is text that could be added to the Intent in either case, and it works whether or not we have made the change a normative requirement:

    "Many dynamic web pages and web apps have relatively little information in their original source code, so the user agent can also provide a source view that reflects changes to the content made by scripts and the like. This may be provided by conventional source view features that show all the source for the document, or by development features that show a source view of a specified range within the DOM."


     Thanks,
     Greg