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From: John Foliot - bytown internet
Date: Jul 12, 2002 9:25AM

Please excuse the cross posting to those who receive this twice.

I have a client who wishes to use JavaScript in a form for form verification
prior to submit - it is important that all fields be filled out. I have
advised that all "Mission Critical" scripting MUST be server-side to ensure
universal accessibility. Their concern however is on server load - the form
is part of a huge enterprise with potentially hundreds of thousands of
"hits" daily. The question was then posed - could they use JavaScript as
the primary means of form verification, with a server side redundant back-up
for user agents which do not support client side scripting?

My first instinct is to say probably yes, citing the W3C WCAG Guideline
11.4: "If, after best efforts, you cannot create an accessible page, provide
a link to an alternative page that uses W3C technologies, is accessible, has
equivalent information (or functionality), and is updated as often as the
inaccessible (original) page." - the redundant server-side backup delivers
the equivelant functionality.

Does anybody see any holes here? Not being a server guy, I'm not sure how
they could actually accomplish this (how would the server-side checker know
when _not_ to check without first running?), but assuming they could
accomplish this, would it pass muster in terms of accessibility?

Please and Thanks

JF



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