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Thread: Is Definition List the best solution here?
Number of posts in this thread: 5 (In chronological order)
From: Angela French
Date: Wed, Jun 14 2017 11:36AM
Subject: Is Definition List the best solution here?
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Hello,
I'd like some opinions/explanations on whether using <dl><dt> and <dd> is the best way to approach something similar to what follows here where we need to display multiple instances of the same terms, but they would have different definitions.
<dl>
<dt>Book Title: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
<dt>Author: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
<dt>ISBN: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
<dt>Year Published: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
<dt>Book Title: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
<dt>Author: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
<dt>ISBN: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
<dt>Year Published: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
Etc.
</dl>
Or would each set be a separate definition list <dl>? Or is there some other better way to handle this?
Thanks
Angela French
Internet/Intranet Specialist
Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges
360-704-4316
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = <mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
www.sbctc.edu<;http://www.sbctc.edu/>;
From: Swift, Daniel P.
Date: Wed, Jun 14 2017 11:57AM
Subject: Re: Is Definition List the best solution here?
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I think a table is actually best since it's data about books.
Dan Swift
Senior Web Specialist
Enterprise Services
West Chester University
610.738.0589
-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of Angela French
Sent: Wednesday, June 14, 2017 1:36 PM
To: WebAim Forum ( = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = )
Subject: [WebAIM] Is Definition List the best solution here?
Hello,
I'd like some opinions/explanations on whether using <dl><dt> and <dd> is the best way to approach something similar to what follows here where we need to display multiple instances of the same terms, but they would have different definitions.
<dl>
<dt>Book Title: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
<dt>Author: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
<dt>ISBN: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
<dt>Year Published: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
<dt>Book Title: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
<dt>Author: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
<dt>ISBN: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
<dt>Year Published: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
Etc.
</dl>
Or would each set be a separate definition list <dl>? Or is there some other better way to handle this?
Thanks
Angela French
Internet/Intranet Specialist
Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges
360-704-4316
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = <mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
www.sbctc.edu<;http://www.sbctc.edu/>;
From: Jonathan Cohn
Date: Thu, Jun 15 2017 7:49PM
Subject: Re: Is Definition List the best solution here?
← Previous message | Next message →
I have certainly come across lists like this. I expect you would actually be maintaining the data in XML or JSOM and then use tools to manipulate into either a table or list as appropriate. If one is attempting to get every X of the books in the list, then a table output would be more efficient. But if one is primarily focused on the data about one book at a time, then it is easier to manage as a set of lists.
Best wishes,
Jonathan Cohn
> On Jun 14, 2017, at 1:57 PM, Swift, Daniel P. < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>
> I think a table is actually best since it's data about books.
>
> Dan Swift
> Senior Web Specialist
> Enterprise Services
> West Chester University
> 610.738.0589
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of Angela French
> Sent: Wednesday, June 14, 2017 1:36 PM
> To: WebAim Forum ( = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = )
> Subject: [WebAIM] Is Definition List the best solution here?
>
> Hello,
> I'd like some opinions/explanations on whether using <dl><dt> and <dd> is the best way to approach something similar to what follows here where we need to display multiple instances of the same terms, but they would have different definitions.
>
> <dl>
> <dt>Book Title: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
> <dt>Author: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
> <dt>ISBN: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
> <dt>Year Published: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
>
> <dt>Book Title: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
> <dt>Author: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
> <dt>ISBN: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
> <dt>Year Published: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
>
> Etc.
> </dl>
>
> Or would each set be a separate definition list <dl>? Or is there some other better way to handle this?
>
> Thanks
>
>
>
>
> Angela French
> Internet/Intranet Specialist
> Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges
> 360-704-4316
> = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = <mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> www.sbctc.edu<;http://www.sbctc.edu/>;
>
> > > > > > >
From: Angela French
Date: Fri, Jun 16 2017 9:15AM
Subject: Re: Is Definition List the best solution here?
← Previous message | Next message →
Our actual data isn't books - that was just an example I provided. Would you say then that each book should be a separate <dl>? Otherwise the definitions are changing within the same <dl>
Angela French
-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of Jonathan Cohn
Sent: Thursday, June 15, 2017 6:49 PM
To: WebAIM Discussion List
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Is Definition List the best solution here?
I have certainly come across lists like this. I expect you would actually be maintaining the data in XML or JSOM and then use tools to manipulate into either a table or list as appropriate. If one is attempting to get every X of the books in the list, then a table output would be more efficient. But if one is primarily focused on the data about one book at a time, then it is easier to manage as a set of lists.
Best wishes,
Jonathan Cohn
> On Jun 14, 2017, at 1:57 PM, Swift, Daniel P. < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>
> I think a table is actually best since it's data about books.
>
> Dan Swift
> Senior Web Specialist
> Enterprise Services
> West Chester University
> 610.738.0589
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On
> Behalf Of Angela French
> Sent: Wednesday, June 14, 2017 1:36 PM
> To: WebAim Forum ( = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = )
> Subject: [WebAIM] Is Definition List the best solution here?
>
> Hello,
> I'd like some opinions/explanations on whether using <dl><dt> and <dd> is the best way to approach something similar to what follows here where we need to display multiple instances of the same terms, but they would have different definitions.
>
> <dl>
> <dt>Book Title: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
> <dt>Author: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
> <dt>ISBN: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
> <dt>Year Published: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
>
> <dt>Book Title: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
> <dt>Author: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
> <dt>ISBN: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
> <dt>Year Published: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
>
> Etc.
> </dl>
>
> Or would each set be a separate definition list <dl>? Or is there some other better way to handle this?
>
> Thanks
>
>
>
>
> Angela French
> Internet/Intranet Specialist
> Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges
> 360-704-4316
> = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = <mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> www.sbctc.edu<;http://www.sbctc.edu/>;
>
> > > archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
> > > > archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
>
From: Birkir R. Gunnarsson
Date: Sat, Jun 17 2017 7:14AM
Subject: Re: Is Definition List the best solution here?
← Previous message | No next message
I would just go simple and either use a table or an unordered list
(with item and definition in each <li>).
There is no harm in using a <dl> either, but there is very little
benefit, other then semantically.
The assistive technology support for the definition list (I think it
is actually called description list now)it is pretty much exposed to
the user as unordered lists.
Just make sure each book entry starts with a heading (for navigation)
and then use unordered lists for the book info.
On 6/16/17, Angela French < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> Our actual data isn't books - that was just an example I provided. Would
> you say then that each book should be a separate <dl>? Otherwise the
> definitions are changing within the same <dl>
>
> Angela French
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf
> Of Jonathan Cohn
> Sent: Thursday, June 15, 2017 6:49 PM
> To: WebAIM Discussion List
> Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Is Definition List the best solution here?
>
> I have certainly come across lists like this. I expect you would actually be
> maintaining the data in XML or JSOM and then use tools to manipulate into
> either a table or list as appropriate. If one is attempting to get every X
> of the books in the list, then a table output would be more efficient. But
> if one is primarily focused on the data about one book at a time, then it is
> easier to manage as a set of lists.
>
>
>
>
> Best wishes,
>
> Jonathan Cohn
>
>
>
>> On Jun 14, 2017, at 1:57 PM, Swift, Daniel P. < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>>
>> I think a table is actually best since it's data about books.
>>
>> Dan Swift
>> Senior Web Specialist
>> Enterprise Services
>> West Chester University
>> 610.738.0589
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On
>> Behalf Of Angela French
>> Sent: Wednesday, June 14, 2017 1:36 PM
>> To: WebAim Forum ( = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = )
>> Subject: [WebAIM] Is Definition List the best solution here?
>>
>> Hello,
>> I'd like some opinions/explanations on whether using <dl><dt> and <dd> is
>> the best way to approach something similar to what follows here where we
>> need to display multiple instances of the same terms, but they would have
>> different definitions.
>>
>> <dl>
>> <dt>Book Title: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
>> <dt>Author: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
>> <dt>ISBN: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
>> <dt>Year Published: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
>>
>> <dt>Book Title: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
>> <dt>Author: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
>> <dt>ISBN: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
>> <dt>Year Published: </dt><dd>foo</dd>
>>
>> Etc.
>> </dl>
>>
>> Or would each set be a separate definition list <dl>? Or is there some
>> other better way to handle this?
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Angela French
>> Internet/Intranet Specialist
>> Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges
>> 360-704-4316
>> = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = <mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
>> www.sbctc.edu<;http://www.sbctc.edu/>;
>>
>> >> >> archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
>> >> >> >> archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
>> >
> > > http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
> > > > > >
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