[whatwg] Accesskey in Web Forms 2

[Matthew Raymond]

Jim Ley wrote:
>>>   I'm pretty sure the HTML 4.01 specification suggests a visual
>>>indicator for access keys, like underlining the character in the label.
>>>I think this is more a failure on the part of UA vendors to implement it.
>>
>>It does[1]. It is not required however, but highly recommended. Maybe
>>HTML 5.0 should make this a MUST rather than a SHOULD?
> 
> No, HTML should not contain _any_ MUST on how something is rendered,
> it has no rendering semantics, that's the point.

    Quite right, but I don't think it's unfair to say that the user 
agent MUST render or otherwise immediately indicate to the user what the 
access key is.

    Here's the HTML 4.01 text regarding this:

http://www.w3.org/TR/html401/interact/forms.html#h-17.11.2

"The rendering of access keys depends on the user agent. We recommend 
that authors include the access key in label text or wherever the access 
key is to apply. User agents should render the value of an access key in 
such a way as to emphasize its role and to distinguish it from other 
characters (e.g., by underlining it)."

    I propose the following change to the last sentence:

"User agents must render the value of an access key. Access keys should 
be rendered in such a way as to emphasize its role and to distinguish it 
from other characters (e.g., by underlining it)."

    The change is subtle, and doesn't by any means require underlining, 
but it does require the UA vendor to ensure that the access key is 
rendered in some fashion, which would most likely be accomplished by 
underlining.

    Oh! I just had an interesting thought:

<label>Furry <accesskey>K</accesskey>ittens: <input type="text"></label>

    This takes a little bit of the flexibility with regards to the
presentation away from the vendor, though...