ISSUE-20

table-headers

Improvements to the table-headers algorithm in the HTML 5 spec

State:

OPEN

Product:

HTML 5 spec

Raised by:

James Graham

Opened on:

2007-11-21

Description:

The table headers algorithm currently in the HTML 5 spec does not deal with some common table formats without significant additional markup using @scope.

The algorithm to establish cell-header relationships in the absence of specific scoping for header cells can probably be improved in line with suggestions in the following urls:
http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-html/2007Sep/0134.html
http://projectcerbera.com/blog/2007/11#day09
http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-html/2008Mar/0075.html with a sample implementation at http://james.html5.org/tables/table_inspector.html (choose "Smart Headers")

This issue will also cover aspects previously in Issue 57, such as:

- retaining headers/id functionality
- current or backwards compatibility
- grandfathering headers/id into the spec until it can be demonstrated
that the HTML5 replacement works better and is in service

Related Actions Items:

• ACTION-63 on Michael(tm) Smith to Ensure HTML WG response to 6 Jun 2007 PF WG msg re table headers http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-html/2007Jun/0145.html - due 2008-10-09, open
• ACTION-67 on Dan Connolly to Propose a test case regarding table headers/id - due 2008-06-26, closed
• ACTION-72 on Chris Wilson to rewrite spec to reinstate id/headers AND their functionality by specifically stating that headers are allowed to reference a td. Reword the current definition of the headers attribute so that each of the space separated tokens must have the value of the ID value of a th or td element. - due 2008-10-02, open

Related emails:

1. function and impacts (was: @scope and @headers reform) (from alfred.s.gilman@ieee.org on 2008-09-14)
2. {minutes} HTML WG telcon 2008-09-04 - html5&xslt, @profile, void elements (from mike@w3.org on 2008-09-05)
3. HTML WG telcon 2008-09-04 - @headers, html5&xslt, @profile (from mike@w3.org on 2008-09-04)
4. Re: Deliverable for Action 72 @headers (from jg307@cam.ac.uk on 2008-08-28)
5. HTML WG telcon 2008-08-28 (from Chris.Wilson@microsoft.com on 2008-08-26)
6. Re: table headers - clear description of problem (from connolly@w3.org on 2008-08-26)
7. Can ISSUE-20 used for your concern over bug 5822? (from soypunk@gmail.com on 2008-07-10)
8. {minutes} HTML WG issue-tracking telcon 2008-06-26 (from mike@w3.org on 2008-07-09)
9. Re: @headers on th too or just td? (from rob@robburns.com on 2008-06-27)
10. Re: @headers on th too or just td? (from rob@robburns.com on 2008-06-27)
11. Re: @headers on th too or just td? (from lhs@malform.no on 2008-06-27)
12. Re: @headers on th too or just td? (from connolly@w3.org on 2008-06-26)
13. Re: @headers on th too or just td? (from rob@robburns.com on 2008-06-26)
14. Re: @headers on th too or just td? (from chaals@opera.com on 2008-06-26)
15. Re: several messages about tables and related subjects (from ian@hixie.ch on 2008-03-23)
16. Re: ISSUE-20 (table-headers): Improvements to the table-headers algorithm in the HTML 5 spec [HTML 5 spec] (from jg307@cam.ac.uk on 2008-01-28)
17. Re: ISSUE-20 (table-headers): Improvements to the table-headers algorithm in the HTML 5 spec [HTML 5 spec] (from jg307@cam.ac.uk on 2007-11-22)
18. Re: ISSUE-20 (table-headers): Improvements to the table-headers algorithm in the HTML 5 spec [HTML 5 spec] (from cerbera@projectcerbera.com on 2007-11-22)
19. ISSUE-20 (table-headers): Improvements to the table-headers algorithm in the HTML 5 spec [HTML 5 spec] (from sysbot+tracker@w3.org on 2007-11-21)

Related notes:

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