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Error identification for multiple

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From: Wing Kuet
Date: Aug 5, 2020 3:50AM

Does anyone have a view of how inline form validation messages should be displayed for 5 input text boxes that are displayed side by side to each other in a horizontal row in a layout table. In the row there is only one row label but for each input box there is also an accompanying column label. In addition,
the client's website I am testing has a layout table where there is multiple rows of these input boxes that are side by side to each other. When an incorrect value is entered into any of the input boxes and the focus is moved away from any of them there is validation message that appears below the input boxes in the same row and spans the width of the whole layout table. The form validation message is specific in terms of the error message to each input box but only appears one at a time and when focus is moved away the validation message disappears. There is no attribute such as an aria-describedby to identify the error message if read by a screen reader if they go back to read the error message again once it disappears. A blank value does not trigger an validation message as well.
At the top of the page there is also a summary list of the errors for the entire page of all the inline error messages that have been produced for each row and input box with a link to the specific input box that has caused the validation message to appear.

Should there be a limit of validation messages that are listed for each input boxes at the top of the page? I would imagine if there are multiple errors, it can be difficult for the user to remember, find, and address all of them. Is have all 5 inline form validation messages appearing persistently, if triggered, in each row for the input boxes that are displayed?

My view is that the inline error messages should appear persistently and all five errors appear in the same row within the same proximity of the input boxes for which can be read. As for the summary of errors that appear at the top of the page that I think should appear if the amount of errors is small. However, if it is a very long list of say more than 10 errors then I am not sure how that should be displayed?


Regards,

Wing Kuet
Accessibility Consultant & Software Tester
Test Partners Ltd
<EMAIL REMOVED> <mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> >