UAWG2 Action re: 1.8.7 Reflow text (ACTION-938 )

This is kind of complicated, so I include some background info. My proposal is at the bottom...

SSB's Comment:
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SSB: 1.8.7 (Reflow Text) - I think there's a possible misunderstanding here with the wording "text content in a graphical top-level viewport".  Some developer might think "oh, if it's only about text in a top-level viewport, then it doesn't apply to text in a table (or other layout device) within that viewport", which is not ideal especially if such layout device is being used unnecessarily.  Maybe add something like "This applies even if such text is included within other structures"?
(http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-ua/2014JanMar/0015.html)

Existing SC:
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1.8.7 Reflow Text: The user can specify that text content in a graphical top-level viewport reflows so the text forms a single column that fits within the width of the viewport. (Level A)
    Note 1: Reflow applies even when text is rescaled or zoomed.
    Note 2: For vertical layout languages (e.g. Mongolian, Han), text should fit within the height of the viewport, rather than its width, to reduce vertical scrolling.

Up until Fall 2013, the SC was quite different:
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 1.8.7 Reduce Horizontal Scrolling: The user can specify that text content in a graphical viewport reflows so that the content fits within the width of the viewport. (Level A)
Note: Vertical layout languages fit within the height of the viewport to reduce vertical scrolling.

UAAG2 also has a "dumb" zoom requirement:
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1.8.5 Allow Zoom: The user can rescale content within top-level graphical viewports as follows: (Level A)
- Zoom in: to 500% or more of the default size
- Zoom out: to 10% or less of the default size, so the content fits within the height or width of the viewport

Another Related SC:
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1.4.4 Configured and Reflowed Text Printing: The user can print any rendered visual, non-time-based content to the user's choice of available printing devices. (Level AA)
Note: The user must be able to print content as it is rendered on screen, reflecting user scaling, highlighting, and other modifications, but reflowable content is reflowed for the print margins.

Relevant Definition:
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reflowable content: Web content that can be arbitrarily wrapped over multiple lines. The primary exceptions to reflowable content are graphics and video.

Also: Multi-column PDFs can be reflowed.
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http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20-TECHS/PDF3 

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Proposals and Strawmen:

Proposal 1: We should address multi-column to 1-column reflow in a new dedicated SC. I don't say "within the width of the viewport" because of cases such as if a multi-column text block is in one cell of a layout table.
1.8.X Multi-Column Text Reflow: The user can specify that recognized multi-column text blocks be reflowed into a single column.

Proposal 2: Remove 1.8.7 Reflow Text in its current form.

Proposal 3: For "1.4.4 Configured and Reflowed Text Printing" I think we should be clear that printing should occur AS IF the user had resized the browser window's horizontal size to the horizontal dimension of the paper. E.g.
1.4.4 Printing: The user can print the rendered content, and the following are all true: (Level AA)
- any rendered, visual, non-time-based content can be printed,
- the user can choose between available printing devices,
- the user can choose to print content as it is rendered on screen, reflecting any user scaling, highlighting, and other modifications,
- the user can choose to have the printed content reflow as if the top-level viewport had been resized to match the horizontal dimensions of the printing device.

Proposal 4: Remove the definition of "reflowable content" as it is no longer needed by 1.4.4.

Proposal 5: Move all mention of vertical languages to a global applicability note:
Vertical layout languages: For user agents rendering, vertical layout languages (e.g. Mongolian, Han), success criteria relating to horizontal rendering, should be applied to vertical rendering.

Strawman 1: One idea for facilitating reflow is allowing user to remove absolute sizes, allowing the browser's own reflowing system to work:
1.8.X Toggle absolute layout dimensions: The user can specify whether or not the user agent should observe absolute layout dimensions.

Strawman 2: What about requiring a linearize feature at AA or AAA? (e.g. the FireFox's "Linearize Page" feature seems very straightforward http://forums.chrispederick.com/discussion/328/page-linearization)


Cheers,
Jan


(MR) JAN RICHARDS
PROJECT MANAGER
INCLUSIVE DESIGN RESEARCH CENTRE (IDRC)
OCAD UNIVERSITY

T 416 977 6000 x3957
F 416 977 9844
E jrichards@ocadu.ca

Received on Thursday, 30 January 2014 21:30:43 UTC