Thread Subject: Editorial review of use of terms content, application, platform, product, software, etc.

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From: Andi Snow-Weaver
Date: Wed, Aug 15 2007 9:30 AM
Subject: Editorial review of use of terms content, application, platform, product, software, etc.

Here is the results of my action item to review our use of terms such as
content, application, platform, software, etc. for consistency and the need
for definitions.

Terms: "Application" and "platform"

Used in "User preferences" [1], "Disruption of access features" [2], and
"Both platform and app" [3]. I think the usage is correct. We are
working on a definition of "platform software".

Suggestion: add a definition for "application software". Here is the
definition from ISO:

Application software (which run on and make use of services provided by
platform software). Software not considered as part of the operating
system or its immediate layers. This includes "desktop" software bundled
with an operating system, personal productivity applications,
development tools, Web browsers, and other non-OS software.

Term: "Content"

Used in "Non-text content" [4] - Substituting the definition of
"content" for the term content in this provision gets kind of circular.
Also, software developers might not think of icons as "content".

Suggestion: change all instances of "non-text content" to "non-text
objects"

Reworded provision: All non-text objects must have a text alternative
that presents equivalent information, except for the situations listed
below.

Term: "Software or content"

Used in "Timing" [5] - use of "content" is okay per the definition.
Applies to both application and platform software.

Suggestion: change " software or content" to "user interface or content"

Reworded provision: For each time limit that is set by the user
interface or content, at least one of the following is true:

Term: "Content and applications"

Used in "Flashing" [6] - could leave as is because we have a definition
of content and we need one for application (proposed above). But this
applies to platform software too.

Suggestion: change "content and applications" to "user interfaces and
content"

Reworded provisioin: User interfaces and applications must not contain
anything that flashes more than 3 times in any one second period or the
flashing is below the general flash and red flash thresholds.

Term: "Product"

Used in "Color adjustment" [7]

Suggestion: change "product" to "user interface"

Reworded provision: When a user interface permits a user to adjust color
and contrast settings, at least one color selection capable of producing
a minimum luminosity contrast ratio of 7:1 must be provided.

Used in "Keyboard operation" [8] - "function of the product operable
through the user interface" wording was specifically chosen to clarify
that this does not require every user interface feature to be keyboard
operable but rather all of the function of the product has to be
keyboard operable. It is acceptable to provide alternative user
interface methods to achieve the goal of keyboard operability.

Suggestion: change "all function of the product operable through the
user inteface" to "all functionality operable through the user
interface".

Reworded provision: All functionality operable through the user
interface is operable through a keyboard interface without requiring
specific timings for individual keystrokes, except where the underlying
function requires input that depends on the path of the user's movement
and not just the endpoints.

Term: "Software"

Used in "Focus cursor" [9]

Suggestion: change "software must provide" to "user interfaces must
provide"

Reworded provision: User interfaces must provide a visual indication of
which user interface object currently has the keyboard focus.

Used in "AT interoperability" [10]

Suggestion: change "software that provides user interface objects" to
"user interface objects"

Reworded provision: On platforms that support AT interoperability, user
interface objects must either use the accessibility services provided by
platform software or other services to cooperate with assistive
technologies when such services allow the software to meet the
accessibility provisions of this standard. Using such services, software
must:

Term: "Component"

Used in "User interface components" [11] - terminology is harmonized
with WCAG. Note that "user interface objects" is used in Focus cursor
[9].

Suggestion: change "components" to "objects"

Reworded provision: For all user interface objects, including form
elements and those generated by scripts, the name and role must be
programmatically determined, states, properties, and values that can be
set by the user must be programmatically determined and can be
programmatically set, and notification of changes to these items is
available to user agents, including assistive technologies.

[1]
http://teitac.org/wiki/Web_and_Software:_Reorganized_Web_and_Software_provisions_2#User_Preferences
[2]
http://teitac.org/wiki/Web_and_Software:_Reorganized_Web_and_Software_provisions_2#Disruption_of_access_features
[3]
http://teitac.org/wiki/Web_and_Software:_Reorganized_Web_and_Software_provisions_2#Both_platform_and_app
[4]
http://teitac.org/wiki/Web_and_Software:_Reorganized_Web_and_Software_provisions_2#Non-text_content
[5]
http://teitac.org/wiki/Web_and_Software:_Reorganized_Web_and_Software_provisions_2#Timing
[6]
http://teitac.org/wiki/Web_and_Software:_Reorganized_Web_and_Software_provisions_2#Flashing
[7]
http://teitac.org/wiki/Web_and_Software:_Reorganized_Web_and_Software_provisions_2#Color_adjustment
[8]
http://teitac.org/wiki/Web_and_Software:_Reorganized_Web_and_Software_provisions_2#Keyboard_Operation
[9]
http://teitac.org/wiki/Web_and_Software:_Reorganized_Web_and_Software_provisions_2#Focus_Cursor
[10]
http://teitac.org/wiki/Web_and_Software:_Reorganized_Web_and_Software_provisions_2#AT_interoperability
[11]
http://teitac.org/wiki/Web_and_Software:_Reorganized_Web_and_Software_provisions_2#User_Interface_Components

Andi