Re: [docbook] Re: Tables, braille and other stuff

[Tobias Reif <tobiasreif at pinkjuice dot com>]

Steinar Bang wrote:

> Possibly.  Though I find a feature matrix easier to interpret, and do
> comparisons in.

I agree that for many users with eyesight (including me), tabular data 
marked up and displayed as table is easier to read than when the data is 
marked up as list, especially if the data is complex (eg more than two 
rows and columns). It's easier to find and compare items quickly.

But some users who use screen readers have problems with tables. So 
ideally, two versions are offered: one marked up as table, and one 
marked up in a more linear fashion. Especially if the table does not 
make sense when linearized automatically (by a proxy or UA), then 
providing an alternative version should be considered. Also see the WCAG 
[1].

A DocBook to (X)HTML tool could generate linearized versions of tables, 
but that has two major problems:
1.
If the table is easily linearized automatically, and still makes sense, 
then the UA could do the job.
If the table would not make sense after being linearized with a tool, 
then it would be up to the author to provide an alternative since only 
he can do it.
2.
Complex tables are not linearized easily by a program.

Tobi

[1]
http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT/#gl-table-markup

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