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Re: Best way to set up links to documents

for

From: Cliff Tyllick
Date: Oct 3, 2008 3:30PM

Good question, Keith. This comes up all the time here, so I would also like feedback. I wonder about these options:

1. As you first described, but adding the form name to the "title" attribute:

Disability Verification Form (MS Word file)

Disability Questionnaire (MS Word file)

Application for Services (MS Word file)
Does having unique title attributes overcome the "same wording, different target" issue?

2. Creating a data table, which I can only approximate here, and simply use icons representing each file format as links. Approximation:

Form Name in MS Word in PDF [<--- column headers]
[row headers in this column]
Disability Verification Form [Word icon] [PDF icon]
Disability Questionnaire [Word icon] [PDF icon]
Application for Services [Word icon] [PDF icon]

If the alt text for each image is the form name plus the format, then people using JAWS would know what each is regardless of whether they were in Tables mode. Also, people using screen magnifiers could tell what each is even if the headings aren't in their field of view because alt text should display on mouseover.

Thoughts? Preferences?

Cliff Tyllick
Web development coordinator
Agency Communications Division
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
512-239-4516
<EMAIL REMOVED>

>>> Keith Parks < <EMAIL REMOVED> > 10/3/2008 1:22 PM >>>
Hi folks.

I looking for recommendations/best practices for handling a list of
links to downloadable forms. Currently I have a page of links to Word
files, set up like this...


Disability Verification Form (MS Word file)

Disability Questionnaire (MS Word file)

Application for Services (MS Word file)


...where the name of the document is the hyperlinked text. The client
wants to add PDF version of the documents linked up.

One way I've seen would be something like...

Disability Verification Form (MS Word file, PDF file)

Disability Questionnaire (MS Word file, PDF file)

Application for Services (MS Word file, PDF file)

where the words "MS Word file" and "PDF file" were the links to the
documents. But then you have both non-descriptive link text plus
identical words on the page that link to different things. A real no-
no, yes?

What seems theoretically the most "correct" way would be...

Disability Verification Form (MS Word file)
Disability Verification Form (PDF file)

Disability Questionnaire (MS Word file)
Disability Questionnaire (PDF file)

Application for Services (MS Word file)
Application for Services (PDF file)

... where the entire text is the link. But some of the forms have
fairly long names, and the repetition of the names ends up confusing
to my eye, especially when they wrap.

Authorization for Release of Information from Student Disability
Services [MS Word file]
Authorization for Release of Information from Student Disability
Services [PDF file]

Authorization for Release of Information from Outside Agency [MS Word
file]
Authorization for Release of Information from Outside Agency [PDF file]

Has anyone tackled this sort of thing from a different angle that I'm
not thinking of?

TIA,
Keith

******************************
Keith Parks
Graphic Designer/Web Designer
Student Affairs Communications Services
San Diego State University
San Diego, CA 92182-7444
(619) 594-1046
mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED>
http://www.sa.sdsu.edu/communications

http://kparks.deviantart.com/gallery
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