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Re: How important are page titles in a single pageapplication?

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From: Birkir R. Gunnarsson
Date: Apr 20, 2018 9:28AM

The page title is how a screen reader identifies the page.

* It announces the page title automatically when the page loads.
* It announces the page title when user focuses on the browser tab or
window (from another tab or application).
* Users can use a shortcut key to check the title of the page they're on.

The title is also used to identify a page on social media:
When you post the URL to a page on FAcebook, the title of the page is
automatally displayed (not necessarily relevant in SPAs).

You can indicate page updated and identify the currently loaded page
through live regions, h1 headings etc. but the page title is the
standard, the way users have identified webpages for decades, some
users rely on the title over other methods.

I'd strongly recommend using 2.4.2 to ensure page titles are unique
and descriptive, even in SPAs. As far as I know (and my knowledge does
not always stretch far enough, and I'd be happy to be corrected)
updating the <title> element with JavaScript is not difficult.

If we look at the text of 2.4.2:
Pages "have titles that describe topic or purpose. (Level A) "
http://www.w3.org/TR/UNDERSTANDING-WCAG20/navigation-mechanisms-title.html

The understanding text goes on to say:

"The intent of this Success Criterion is to help users find content
and orient themselves within it by ensuring that each Web page has a
descriptive title. Titles identify the current location without
requiring users to read or interpret page content."

Note the last part of the sentence, "without reading or interpreting
page content". An SPA that does not update the page title is requiring
the user to interpret the page content.

Also see failure technique 25 (which includes a scenario where all web
pages on a site having the same title):
http://www.w3.org/TR/2016/NOTE-WCAG20-TECHS-20161007/F25

Whereas WCAG tecniques are advisory, it's hard to interpret failure
techniques to be anything other than prescriptive.

There is an opt out here. The text continues to read
"In cases where the page is a document or a web application, the name
of the document or web application would be sufficient to describe the
purpose of the page. Note that it is not required to use the name of
the document or web application; other things may also describe the
purpose or the topic of the page."


The question is, is a website implemented as an SPA a "web
application" or a website?






On 4/20/18, Isabel Holdsworth < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
> Oh that's interesting Wolfgang! I've been advising people to
> front-load their page titles with the most relevant info (question
> number in a test, checkout step in a shopping cart process etc). Now
> you've given me something to think about!
>
> Have a good weekend everyone.
>
> On 30/01/2018, Wolfgang Berndorfer < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
> wrote:
>> Another relevant JAWS keyboard stroke for the texting of a page title is
>> INSERT + F10 to open a list of my open application windows. I'm always
>> glad,
>> when the first letters of the title remain on a website. So I can easealy
>> navigate between windows. Thus please begin the text of your titles with a
>> short name of your app and then specify with a concise texting of the
>> current context, as e.g. WebAIM does.
>> Wolfgang
>> -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
>> Von: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ] Im Auftrag
>> von Steve Faulkner
>> Gesendet: Dienstag, 30. Jänner 2018 13:20
>> An: WebAIM Discussion List
>> Betreff: Re: [WebAIM] How important are page titles in a single
>> pageapplication?
>>
>> Screen reader users can access the title element content at any time using
>> a keystroke, for example:
>> using JAWS using INSERT + T
>>
>> https://freedomscientific.github.io/VFO-standards-support/html.html#toc-titl
>> e
>>
>> --
>>
>> Regards
>>
>> SteveF
>> Current Standards Work @W3C
>> <http://www.paciellogroup.com/blog/2015/03/current-standards-work-at-w3c/>;
>>
>> On 30 January 2018 at 11:57, Mark Magennis < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
>>
>>> Hi all,
>>>
>>> If a single page application (SPA) presents as a number of distinct
>>> 'pages' of functionality, is it necessary to change the page's <title> to
>>> reflect the current function/content of the page? Assuming that the
>>> change
>>> of context is made obvious in some way. Who will even notice the <title>
>>> change? My reading of WCAG 2.4.2 page title is that it doesn't require
>>> unique <title> elements for individual 'pages' within an SPA. But is this
>>> okay in practice?
>>>
>>> Mark
>>> >>> >>> >>> >>>
>> >> >> >> >>
>> >> >> >> >>
> > > > >


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