Created attachment 1182 [details]
Javascript Table Parser

In the Editor's Draft 4 September 2012, there are no mention about on how the size of a data table can be reduced to being displayed better on a smaller screen, like a mobile device.

I developped two techniques (FYI - currently in draft but with the intention to be submited to the WCAG 2.0 Techniques) that describe a method on how the row grouping, column grouping combined with the table header cell structure can be used together to define data summaries. 
* http://wet-boew.github.com/wet-boew/docs/tableparser/summariesrowgroup-techniques.html
* http://wet-boew.github.com/wet-boew/docs/tableparser/colgroupsummary-techniques.html

As per my research, the data summaries is often in a smaller size than the data itself. A common example is an invoice. The "Subtotal" and the "Total" row group is often smaller than the items listed in the table. With that, the table display size can be reduced to show only the total or the subtotal and the total row group instead of listing all the item contained in the invoice. With that technique it would be possible for an user agent to provide a mechanism to colapse/expend upon user request those kind of table.

This could give the possibility for people with disability to get a global view of the data table before to read each individual data cell. 

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Attached: A javascript table parser that takes in consideration the row group, the column group and the placement, size of the header cell to create the relationship between each cell contained in a table. You can find the most recent version here: https://github.com/wet-boew/wet-boew/blob/master/src/js/workers/parser.table.js

The following table validator use the preceding table parser.
http://wet-boew.github.com/wet-boew/docs/tableparser/validator-htmltable.html

FYI - Here a mailing sent to WAI Interrest Group about a request for comments in regards of the techniques mentioned here. http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-ig/2012JulSep/0310.html

Thank you

:-)