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Thread: Long URLs in HREFs

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From: Rachel
Date: Wed, Oct 30 2002 12:58PM
Subject: Long URLs in HREFs
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I'm evaluating a dynamically generated site that has
really long cryptic-sounding URLs inside all the links
on the pages. Example: A
HREF="main.jsp?BT_CODE=ANNOUNCE&BLURB_GEN_NBR=104036&TT_CODE=D"

Is this an issue for screen readers? Will the screen
readers read the long URLs out loud? Is there a way
for the screen readers to skip over reading these long
URLs? I'm concerned about major screen readers like
Jaws, WindowEyes, HomePageReader.

In this case, the title of the link (what the A HREF
wraps around) is much more comprehensible than the URL
target of the link.

Thanks
Rachel

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From: Mark Rew
Date: Wed, Oct 30 2002 2:12PM
Subject: Re: Long URLs in HREFs
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Yes, These long urls will be a problem for Jaws. It would be more meaningful
to put descriptive text in a alt- attribute. Maybe, copy what is in the
title= attribute.

Thus, you will have something like:
<a href=http://www.longurl alt-"title info" title="info">...</a>

The alt= attribute can also be used with an <img> element.

Mark

----- Original Message -----
From: "Rachel" < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
To: < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
Sent: Wednesday, October 30, 2002 2:48 PM
Subject: Long URLs in HREFs


> I'm evaluating a dynamically generated site that has
> really long cryptic-sounding URLs inside all the links
> on the pages. Example: A
> HREF="main.jsp?BT_CODE=ANNOUNCE&BLURB_GEN_NBR=104036&TT_CODE=D"
>
> Is this an issue for screen readers? Will the screen
> readers read the long URLs out loud? Is there a way
> for the screen readers to skip over reading these long
> URLs? I'm concerned about major screen readers like
> Jaws, WindowEyes, HomePageReader.
>
> In this case, the title of the link (what the A HREF
> wraps around) is much more comprehensible than the URL
> target of the link.
>
> Thanks
> Rachel
>
> __________________________________________________
> Do you Yahoo!?
> HotJobs - Search new jobs daily now
> http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/
>
>
> ----
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or view list archives,
> visit http://www.webaim.org/discussion/
>
>


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