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Re: summary or caption

for

From: Jukka K. Korpela
Date: Jun 7, 2013 8:35AM


2013-06-07 15:50, Stanzel, Susan - FSA, Kansas City, MO wrote:

> When creating a table of data should I use a summary or caption?

Yes, mostly. :-)

Seriously, a caption element is normally useful, even essential, for a
table of data. For example, it helps a cognitively challenged person,
and often any person, to understand what the table is about and why it
is there. Without a caption, people may get lost in the data and may
start looking for explanations in the text, possibly in vain, possibly
getting disoriented. A caption often helps to understand the role of a
table on a page and perhaps to skip it if it irrelevant to the user or
to read it extra carefully if it is crucial to him.

The summary attribute is much more controversial. It has even been
dropped from the HTML5 CR, though the debate goes on and it might get
re-established. Briefly, you could use the summary attribute if there is
something important to say about the table but the information is
expected to be self-evident to a person who sees the table at a glance.
For example, it might be relevant that the entries are in alphabetic
order, but most people will see that without saying. An attribute like
summary="The table is in alphabetic order by surname" might be useful.

The summary attribute should be used, if at all, as complementary to the
caption element. The caption is for everyone, and the summary is
additional annotations that may benefit some people.

Yucca