[html4all] Tabindex

[Gregory J. Rosmaita]

aloha, all!

one of the major problems with tabindex is that it doesn't allow 
for user override -- the user should always get the "bang important"
option for what is and isn't enabled or disabled...   one of the 
problems with the reCAPTCHA code is that it contains a tabindex 
order that will steal focus away from items on the page that contains 
it -- just as users can override CSS changes to background and 
foreground colors and set user-preferred fonts, so too should they 
be able to inspect and decide whether or not to follow a tabindex,
just as they should be able to change/choose the modifier key for
the attribute currently known as accesskey...

gez summed up the point of my tests far more succinctly than i --
i think i might have to cop some of his wording to contextualize
the test, which now contains five different means of marking up 
a table for accessibility and changing the tab order -- something
which is most easily communicated to the end user who cannot perceive
the visual tab order, but who finds himself in a strange, unexpected 
loop...  i wrote a longer, more coherent explanation on public-html

http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-html/2007Sep/0431.html

and tried for even more clarity in the cover post that contains the
other 4 tests:

http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/www-archive/2007Sep/0064.html

it's part of the continuing project of identifying explicit association 
patterns in HTML 4.01 and HTML5, and a study of what happens, and what
needs to happen, when contextualizing bindings are "blocked" or 
"superseded" by other, equally important bindings -- in the case of 
the sample form field, one needs to keep oriented by means of knowing
-- through ennunciation of the column and row headers -- where within
the form one is and how one is being led through the form by an 
author defined tabindex, whilst simultaneously receiving state, 
role and property values for form controls -- it is here where ARIA 
can be of IMMEDIATE benefit, not only through its ownedby and labelledby
syntax, but also by allowing a user to select the "politeness" levels 
of information streams, so that essential information is not lost by 
one title, for example, overriding another, equally valid and useful 
title...

gregory.
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