RE: [SVGMobile12] SVGT12-207: <title> does not define what the title is

Hi, Folks-

I just went back and reread section 5.5 (The 'desc' and 'title' elements)
[1], with an objective eye. For the most part, it is comprehensive and
clear. 

I guess the offending phrase is "'desc' and 'title' elements can contain
marked-up text from other namespaces." 


Anne van Kesteren wrote:
| 
| So what the SVG Tiny specification should define is how to 
| extract the text version of a <title>. I see two options   
| that make sense:
| 
|   1. Use textContent;
|   2. Go through childNodes and ignore everything
|      except CDATASection and Text nodes.
| 
| I guess this could be a small paragraph at the end of the 
| definition of the <title> element.

Thank you, Anne, for making a clear and common-sense suggestion.

I agree that the most reasonable simple solution (in the most common use
cases) is for the UA to use the textContent of the <title> and <desc>
elements. While it is best left up to the UA (as Jim rightly pointed out),
it cannot hurt to give the UAs and authors a basis for what sort of behavior
they might agree to as to the content. I propose the following change:

 "'desc' and 'title' elements can contain marked-up text from other
namespaces. In the case where an SVG User Agent does not know how to present
the mark-up from that namespace, it may use the textContent if it chooses to
display the data. Here is an example of foreign-namespaced content:"

MAY is as far as I would go in this case, since we are really talking about
an area where there is not yet an established precedent for how UAs and
authors have decided to use foreign-namespaced 'title' and 'desc' content.
This might be an area of interest to CDF.

If this suggestion is acceptable, I will propose it formally to the SVG WG.
If not, please suggest what wording would be acceptable, for consideration.


Jon Ferraiolo wrote:
| 
<snip />
| This allows an upgrade path where a future version of Tiny (or more 
| powerful profile) could allow <svg:switch> and <svg:foreignObject>
| within <title> or similar mechanism, 
<snip />

I just want to note that the combination of <title> and <switch> also allows
for great i18n. A pragmatic example of this that avoids the issue of complex
'title' content is:

 <switch>
   <title systemLanguage='en'>donkey</title>
   <title systemLanguage='fr'>âne</title>
 </switch>

(Please note that any similarity between the French word for "donkey" and
Anne's name is purely coincidental... ;)

[1] http://www.w3.org/TR/SVGMobile12/struct.html#DescriptionAndTitleElements

Regards-
Doug

doug.schepers@vectoreal.com
www.vectoreal.com ...for scalable solutions.

Received on Friday, 7 April 2006 15:26:40 UTC