[html4all] Headers= up

[Robert Burns]

Hi Leif,

On Sep 8, 2007, at 12:10 AM, Leif Halvard Silli wrote:

> Rob, if you could cut some superfluous part of quotes, that would  
> be appreciated.
>
> To the issue:
>
> On 2007-09-08 06:36:23 +0200 Robert Burns <rob at robburns.com> wrote:
>
>> On close examination I think the HTML 4.01 algorithm should work   
>> perfectly
>> with Anne's table with no scope attribute. James'  implementation  
>> simply
>> implements it incorrectly.
>>
>> The HTML 4.01 algorithm says:
>>
>> "The search in a given direction stops when the edge of the table  
>> is  reached
>> or when a data cell is found after a header cell."
>>
>> So the HTML 4 algorithm should not be including the Day 1, Day  
>> 2,,  Day3,
>> etc. headers. Though in fairness it also should not include the   
>> remarks and
>> the other header cell in the THEAD< but I think that a  generous  
>> reading of
>> HTML4 would include those headers.
>
> We must have the same amount of generousity to whichever spec we  
> read ;-) Perhaps that is the trouble? :-D
>
> I am not certain you are correct here. What you quoted above is  
> merly step 1 of 5 possible steps in that algorithm.

This is the only relevant step in the algorithm for tables without  
headers= or axis=. The entire association happens in that step.

> What is a direction stop?

It is not  a 'direction stop' The sentence is saying that when  
searching a column for example search upwards in the column for  
header cell until: either  1) the edge of the table is reached or 2)  
a data cell is reached after one or more header cells. In other words  
in Anne's table the data cells only get associated with the headers  
on the same tbody. The algorithm does not address the issue of a  
THEAD, but I think it only makes sense to include the THEAD cells as  
header cells too. In other words when searching for column header  
cells, the algorithm should also add all of the THEAD cells that span  
that cells column (in Anne's table the "remarks" heading).

> Could it mean that it has reached a kind of «axis»?

No, I don't think axis has anything to do with that step of the  
algorithm.

> (You could very well be correct, though, because Ferg is not  
> focused on such tables as Anne's in his table explanations.)
>
> How about having a look at that table with the table inspector of  
> of juicy studio?`

I took a look and it look to me that the this juicy studio inspector  
shows the association I would expect with the HTMl 4 algorithm. It  
doesn't show the global heading association (associating the THEAD  
headers with the data cells)), but as I said HTML 4.01 doesn't  
explicitly call for this (though I think its an oversight more than  
intentional).

Take care,
Rob