minor ambiguity: label attribute of option element (17.6.1)

Hello,

I am currently wondering about an ambiguity
in section 17.6.1 of HTML 4.01:

"<!ELEMENT OPTION
[...]
 label = text [CS] 
   This attribute allows authors to specify a shorter label for an option than 
the content of the OPTION element. When specified, user agents should use the 
value of this attribute rather than the content of the OPTION element as the 
option label."


It is unclear if this is to be applied in all contexts (including simple 
SELECT > OPTION) or only in the context of hierarchical menus (SELECT > 
OPTGROUP > OPTION)


As the dtd says precisely:

"<!ATTLIST OPTION
[...]
  label       %Text;         #IMPLIED  -- for use in hierarchical menus --
"

and the specification further gives as an illustration: 


" <SELECT name="ComOS">
     <OPTION selected label="none" value="none">None</OPTION>
     <OPTGROUP label="PortMaster 3">
       <OPTION label="3.7.1" value="pm3_3.7.1">PortMaster 3 with ComOS 
[...]

represents the following grouping:
  None
  PortMaster 3
      3.7.1
"

  => the capitalization of "None" in the representation hints that the 
option's content is to be displayed in the UI in the non-hierarchical case, 
and not the label attribute.

Thank you for any clarification you may bring,

gg.

Received on Wednesday, 15 February 2006 11:43:14 UTC