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Re: Using "alert" or "confirm" javascript functions in place of modal dialog box, is that a bad practice?

for

From: Steve Faulkner
Date: Mar 19, 2012 10:24AM


Good news is that there will be a dialog feature added to HTML5 that will handle the interaction and semantics.

But will take a while before its implemented.

Sent from my iPhone

On 19 Mar 2012, at 15:55, Donald Evans < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:

> I will always recommend a JS alert as it is truly modal. Many of the
> libraries have what visually look like modals and are to the mouse user,
> but as you know not for the screen reader or keyboard only user.
>
> I often do get push back from developers because the JS alert can not be
> styled with CSS to look the way they want it to look. This is the only
> reason I know of to not use it. Personally I think that is a lame reason,
> but when you are working with companies that have paid a lot of money to
> have a style and brand developed it can be a problem.
>
>
> On Mon, Mar 19, 2012 at 11:41 AM, Birkir R. Gunnarsson <
> <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
>
>> Hi everyone
>>
>> At Access U and CSUN we had some discussions regarding modal dialog
>> boxes, and how screen readers can easily get around them, thus
>> potentially confusing the end users.
>> I recommended using the Javascript alert function to get around this
>> for a page I consulted on recently, and we have not gotten any
>> complaints about it, at least not yet.
>> Yesterday I was reading entries on the W3Fools website (page that was
>> set up to point out problems with W3Schools, no association with the
>> W3C).
>> Under the Javascript section it says that using alert() or confirm()
>> is bad practice and it should be avoided, though it gave no further
>> explanations.
>> Does anyone have any thoughts on this either way?
>> Cheers
>> -B
>>