[whatwg] [WA1] <ol type=a> is semantic

[Simon Pieters]

Hi,

I think that <ol> should allow a type attribute as in HTML4[1].

An 1,2,3 list is different from an a,b,c list. If you want to discuss a 
particular list item in the text then it doesn't make sense to say "f" when 
the list says "6", for instance. Consider the following real world 
example[2]:

| Quiz: Complete the sentence,"OpenDocument is ..."
|
| (a) An open, XML-based file format.
| (b) An open standard, supported by the OASIS and ISO standards groups.
| (c)The default file format for the upcoming OpenOffice.org 2.0 and KOffice 
1.4.
| (d) A top prospect for an official format for the European Commission.
| (e) Our best chance to fight vendor lock-in associated with proprietary 
formats.
| (f) All of the above.
|
| The correct answer is (f) All of the above.

I think the markup for the above should be something along the lines:

# <p>Quiz: Complete the sentence,"OpenDocument is ..."
# <ol type=a>
#  <li>An open, XML-based file format.
#  <li>An open standard, supported by the OASIS and ISO standards groups.
#  <li>The default file format for the upcoming OpenOffice.org 2.0 and 
KOffice 1.4.
#  <li>A top prospect for an official format for the European Commission.
#  <li>Our best chance to fight vendor lock-in associated with proprietary 
formats.
#  <li>All of the above.
# </ol>
# <p>The correct answer is (f) All of the above.

Without "type=a" (and without CSS), the last paragraph doesn't make sense.

[1] <http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/struct/lists.html#adef-type-LI>
[2] <http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20050130002908154#whatis>

Regards,
Simon Pieters