Content Page is Under Development and Subject to Change
This is a simple test page to validate the necessity of proper punctuation within text content attributes of any Web document
Three text content element types are used: Header, Paragraph and Ordered List. Two text content attributes are used: alt and title
Image Source — The Web Standards Project [EXT]
Image Source — The Web Standards Project [EXT]
Image Source — The Web Standards Project [EXT]
If you have taken the time to run this test page through an adaptive technology
user agent and have reached this point, you may have reached the same conclusion
that I did: What to hell. This is confusing and a jumbled mess. Everything
runs into everything else.
For the balance of the test, punctuation will be included for everything
except text content attributes. Without testing this portion, I know the
conclusion, already. Text content attributes will run into text content elements
when those text content attributes do not close with punctuation immediately
prior to the attribute's closing quote. In addition, for adaptive technology
user agents that read both the alt and the title
attributes together, those attributes will run into each other when rendered
and when the attribute's closing quote is not preceded by a closing punctuation
mark.
div Element.This test explores the impact of non-punctuated alt and
title attributes of images contained within a div
element. This is a simple simulation of images that may be presented within a
photo gallery.
Often, photo galleries contain text content paragraphs or other text content elements immediately prior to and/or preceding the gallery.
This test explores the impact of punctuated alt and
title attributes of images contained within a div
element. This is a simple simulation of images that may be presented within a
photo gallery.
Often, photo galleries contain text content paragraphs or other text content elements immediately prior to and/or preceding the gallery.
div Element Test.Within all of the above tests, an anomaly occurs. There exists about a fifty
percent variation within JAWS wherein the image alt element runs
into the next image. If this anomaly does not occur at the first opportunity, it
does not occur throughout the document. However, if it occurs at its first
opportunity, the alt text content runs into that of the other images
when the text content attribute does not contain a closing punctuation mark. I
have not been able to isolate this anomaly and will not take the time to attempt
to isolate it. Throughout this test, I occasionally have changed the verbosity
settings. It could be that those changes are what trigger this anomaly.
However, when punctuation is used, there is no run on content. Whether or not
the anomaly does occur, does not prevent an alt attribute from
running into an adjoining text content element, such as a paragraph, when
closing punctuation is not present within the alt attribute.
div Element Test.Use closing punctuation on any text content attribute to preclude possibility of run on content from the attributes into each other or into any adjoining text content element.
p Element.This test explores the impact of non-punctuated alt and
title attributes of images contained within a p
element. This is a simple simulation of images that may be presented within a
paragraph block of text and with the image used to enhance the paragraph.
The World Wide Web
Consortium [W3C], along with other groups and standards bodies, has established
technologies for creating and interpreting web-based content. These technologies,
which we call “web standards”, are carefully designed to deliver the
greatest benefits to the greatest number of web users while ensuring the
long-term viability of any document published on the Web.
Quote from — The Mission of The Web Standards Project [EXT].
Designing and
building with these standards simplifies and lowers the cost of production, while
delivering sites that are accessible to more people and more types of Internet
devices. Sites developed along these lines will continue to function correctly
as traditional desktop browsers evolve and as new Internet devices come to
market.
Quote from — The Mission of The Web Standards Project [EXT].
This test explores the impact of punctuated alt and
title attributes of images contained within a p
element. This is a simple simulation of images that may be presented within a
paragraph block of text and with the image used to enhance the paragraph.
The World Wide Web
Consortium [W3C], along with other groups and standards bodies, has established
technologies for creating and interpreting web-based content. These technologies,
which we call “web standards”, are carefully designed to deliver the
greatest benefits to the greatest number of web users while ensuring the
long-term viability of any document published on the Web.
Quote from — The Mission of The Web Standards Project [EXT].
Designing and
building with these standards simplifies and lowers the cost of production, while
delivering sites that are accessible to more people and more types of Internet
devices. Sites developed along these lines will continue to function correctly
as traditional desktop browsers evolve and as new Internet devices come to
market.
Quote from — The Mission of The Web Standards Project [EXT].
p Element Test.This content segment is under development.
p Element Test.This content segment is under development.
The Exceptions and Assumptions content segment is under construction.
There are times when a closing punctuation mark for a text content element is
not visually appealing. CSS can be
used to visually hide the punctuation mark. In the majority of instances, closing
punctuation for text content attributes, e.g. alt and title
do not need hidden. Attributes are not visually present, hovered tool tips aside.
NOTE: These techniques are used within the above header element and are used throughout the balance of this Web page.
The background technique is simple. Place the punctuation mark within a
span element with a CSS class selector applied to it.
span element to hide a period:<span class=“background”>.<period/span>..background{background-color:inherit;color:#fff}.The above CSS rule is what is used within this content page. The page background is white and has been specified as white within a previous CSS rule. Therefore, the background color should be inherited within this particular rule. The text color has been specified as black by a previous CSS rule. Within the background rule, the color is specified as white. The punctuation mark of the period becomes invisible, white on white.
There may be instances that the above technique is not suitable. For example, if the punctuation mark falls onto a pattern or gradient background, the punctuation may be visible.
In these cases, use the span element that references a CSS
selector that includes CSS off screen rules.
span element to hide a period:<span class=“hide”>.<period/span>.
.hide{position:absolute;height:.1em;left:-999em;overflow:hidden;width:.1em}.display:none Rule.Never use the display:none CSS rule to visually hide any necessary
closing punctuation mark. It will not show up nor be rendered by the adaptive
technology user agent.
Adaptive technology user agents are dependent upon the Web browser and basically
play within the browser's ‘sandbox’. They take the content as rendered
by the Web browser and then convert that content into an audible and tactile
document. Since the display:none rule instructs the browser not
to display the content associated with the rule, the content, obviously, is not
exposed to the adaptive technology user agent.
I have, yet, to thoroughly test this idea. For areas such as a header element wherein a pause should be affected and wherein a developer wishes to reduce both code bulk and additional CSS, a non-printing line feed inserted directly before the text content element's closing tag may work.
<h2>The Header Text<span class=“background”>.<period/span></h2>.<h2>The Header Text </h2>.The HTML Numeric Special
Character Reference for a non-printing line feed is:
.
Given the choice between using CSS or a line feed, the better choice is probably the CSS solution.
The only currently viable solution to the run on content issue is to use the appropriate punctuation mark for all text content elements and attributes prior to the element's and attribute's HTML closure.
Additional code is necessary when, for visual purposes, the punctuation marks want to be hidden from view.
The long term viable solution may be the need for Web browsers to adopt aural style sheets and include default aural rules that automatically pause after each text content element and attribute. Obviously, adaptive technology user agents will need to support these default aural rules.
Even with this simple test, Hickson's implied suggestion that use of punctuation within text content elements is critical to accessibility and cannot, with any logic, be contested.
There is one interesting area that I haven't, yet, researched. That area is the effect of the human brain's ability to adapt to a loss of one of the primary senses, such as sight. Does the human brain, that was once able to process visual information, adapt hearing to combine abilities and methods of process of both? If such does occur, to what level does it occur?
As in this example and discussion of comprehension and run on content, does the effect of a pause become less important, over time, as the human brain begins to change and adapt to a loss of sight? I don't know the answer to that.
However, if a view of accessibility is combined with views of usability and inter-operability for the benefit of all users, use of proper punctuation within all text content elements and attributes has merit.
If you find any discrepancies or issues with my logic or what has been presented, please e-Mail: that guy at Boinkin Chipmunks.
Copyright 2008. By: thacker. All Rights Reserved, Worldwide.
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