WCAG 2.0 Test Samples Metadata

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Introduction
Metadata Vocabulary
Directory Structure
Naming Conventions
Related Resources

Introduction

WCAG 2.0 Test Samples consist of two parts: the actual test sample content that demonstrates correct or incorrect implementation of WCAG 2.0 Techniques; and the metadata that describes the respective test sample. This document provides and overview of the metadata vocabulary that is used to describe the test samples, and the directory structure and naming conventions that are used to store the test samples in the WCAG 2.0 Test Samples Repository.

Metadata Vocabulary

The metadata vocabulary for WCAG 2.0 Test Samples is a subset of the elements defined by the Test Case Description Language (TCDL) 2.0. The following is an exhaustive list of the elements that are used to describe WCAG 2.0 Test Samples. TCDL 2.0 elements that are not listed here are not used in this WCAG 2.0 Test Samples Repository.

Note: the metadata vocabulary for the WCAG 2.0 Test Samples is used in conformance with TCDL 2.0; please refer to the specification for a normative definition of the language. Additional requirements and restrictions on TCDL 2.0 elements are indicated below and only apply to WCAG 2.0 Test Samples. An [example metadata file] for WCAG 2.0 Test Samples demonstrates the usage of these elements.

testCaseDescription - required
- attribute id - required; see naming conventions
- formalMetadata - required
  - title - required
  - dc:creator - required
    Restriction: the value of this element is predefined for WCAG 2.0 Test Samples, refer to the [metadata template] for the actual constant value.
  - dc:language - required
  - dc:rights - required
    Restriction: the value of this element is predefined for WCAG 2.0 Test Samples, refer to the [metadata template] for the actual constant value.
  - dc:date - required
    Restriction: the value of this element must reflect the last modified date of the WCAG 2.0 Test Sample, this is done by using the CVS command $Date$.
  - status - required
    Restriction: the status of WCAG 2.0 Test Samples must be in accordance with Conformance Test Process For WCAG 2.0.
  - version - required
    Restriction: the versioning of WCAG 2.0 Test Samples is done by using the CVS command $Revision$.
- technologies - required
  - technicalSpec - required
    Note: at the present time, the WCAG Working Group is continuing to refine its concept for Accessibility Supported Technologies (previously Baseline); the usage of this element may change accordingly.
    - attribute handle - required
    - attribute mediatype - if a MIME media type is available
    - specName - required
    - testElements - optional
      Note: at the present time, the usage of this element is still under discussion and dependent on the WCAG Working Group refinement of the concept for Accessibility-Supported Technology (formerly Baseline).
      - testElement - required
        
        attribute baseline - optional
        
        elementName - required
        
        attribute xml:lang - optional
        
        attribute dir - optional
        
        attribute localname - required
        
        attribute namespace - optional
        
        specReference - optional
        
        attribute xml:lang - optional
        
        attribute dir - optional
        
        attribute xlink:href - optional
        
        specQuote - optional
        
        attribute xml:lang - optional
        
        attribute dir - optional
- testCase - required
  - dc:description - required
  - purpose - required
  - internalNotes - optional
    - internalNote - required
  - expertGuidance - optional
    Restriction: this element is to provide additional information about executing the WCAG 2.0 Test Sample (including the description of client-side user input that a test sample may depend on), it shall not be used to interpret WCAG 2.0 Techniques.
  - preconditions - optional
  - files - required
    - file - required, containing one of the following:
      - http:GetRequest - optional
      - http:PostRequest - optional
      - http:PutRequest - optional
      - http:HeadRequest - optional
      Note: these elements are borrowed from [HTTP Vocabulary in RDF]; namespace URIs in TCDL 2.0 will be kept synchronized with those defined in HTTP Vocabulary in RDF.
- rules - required
  - rule - required
    - attribute xlink:href - required
      Note: this is the ID for the specific version of the WCAG 2.0 document. These IDs are defined by the Rule Sets XML document, which is a companion to BenToWeb's TCDL 2.0.
    - locations - optional
      - attribute expectedResult - required
      - location - optional
        Note: this element contains location pointers as defined by [Evaluation and Report Language (EARL) 1.0 location pointers]. ERT WG is still developing the syntax for these location pointers in the draft document [Pointer Methods in RDF]. The content of this TCDL may therefore change to synchronize with EARL 1.0 until it is finalized.
        Note: Until EARL location pointers allow one to specify the XPath version used, XPath expressions in location pointers are assumed to be XPath 2.0 expressions. Also, location references generated code whenever possible (including code generated by client-side script).
        
        attribute techrefs - required
    - techniques - required
      Restriction: Each WCAG 2.0 Test Sample links to exactly one WCAG 2.0 technique or failure.
      - technique - required
        
        attribute id - required
        Restriction: use the same identifiers as in Techniques for WCAG 2.0.
        
        attribute xlink:href - required
    - techComment - optional
      Note: the author of the test sample can also use this element to record issues with WCAG 2.0 success criteria, techniques or failures that were encountered before submission to the task force.
- namespaceMappings - optional (required if the location elements use XPath statements with namespaces)
  - namespace - required
    - nsPrefix - required
    - nsURI - required

Directory Structure

WCAG 2.0 Test Samples are organized by their primary technology such as XHTML, SVG, and so on. Within each technology directory, there are two sub-directories: "metadata" for the metadata, and "testfiles" for the actual test sample content. Both types of files are named according to the naming conventions described in the next section of this document. In addition to test files, the sub-directory with the test sample content contains a "resources" directory, which may contain further sub-directories with auxiliary content such as images, audio tracks, scripts, and so on. The directory structure of the WCAG 2.0 Test Samples Repository looks as follows:

xhtml
- metadata
- testfiles
  - resources
    - applets
    - audio
    - flash
    - images
    - scripts
    - video
    - more resource sub-directories as needed
more technology directories as needed

Naming Conventions

The files containing the actual test sample content and the metadata for WCAG 2.0 Test Samples follow a naming convention. The name of the files is a combination of the WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion that they address and a sequential number. The format of these filenames is xxx_nnn.type and consists of the following parts:

xxx: This first part of the filename represents the WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion which the test sample addresses, for example text-equiv-all.
nnn: A sequential number is assigned to each filename based on the order in which the test samples are committed to the repository. The first test sample receives the number 001. See also below for test samples with multiple test files.
type: Finally, the file type is also indicated in the filename. The files containing the test sample content have file types that represent the primary technology such as html, svg, and so on; the metadata files have the file type xml.

Supporting files (CSS, JavaScript, images, audio, etcetera) also use this naming convention.

Example: the filename text-equiv-all_001.html represents the first HTML test sample for the WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 1.1.1 (which currently has the identifier "text-equiv-all"). The metadata for this test sample has the filename text-equiv-all_001.xml and is stored in a separate directory as described in the section directory structure.

If a test sample uses more than one test file, another underscore and numeric identifier (usually two digits) are added after the nnn.

Example: the test sample with identifier consistent-behavior-consistent-locations_001 uses three test files with the following names: consistent-behavior-consistent-locations_001_01.html, consistent-behavior-consistent-locations_001_02.html and consistent-behavior-consistent-locations_001_03.html.

Note: the filename without the file type, for example consistent-behavior-consistent-locations_001, is a unique identification of the WCAG 2.0 Test Sample. This ID is reused in the id attribute of the testCaseDescription element of the metadata file.

Test Sample Content Files

In addition to the naming convention, test sample content files meet each of the following requirements, except when the purpose of the test sample implies a failure of one of these requirements:

files are syntactically correct and valid (HTML, XHTML, SVG, CSS, etcetera can be validated);
hyperlinks work;
links to supporting files (images, client-side scripts, stylesheets, etcetera) work;
stylesheets and client-side scripts are in separate files (which means that they are also separate from the content file that uses them).

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WCAG 2.0 Test Samples Metadata

Page Contents

Introduction

Metadata Vocabulary

Directory Structure

Naming Conventions

Test Sample Content Files

Related Resources

WCAG 2.0 Test Samples Resources

TCDL 2.0 Resources

WCAG 2.0 Resources

Other Useful Resources

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