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

[dolphinling]

Matthew Thomas wrote:
> I'd also like to see <ol type= reintroduced, for the reasons Simon gave. 
> It is especially semantically important in legal documents (for the same 
> reasons start= is).

I agree that making sure the numbering is correct in legal documents 
(and other documents that have the same type of structure) is 
semantically important. I don't think that automatically generated 
numbering is the way to do it, though.

In a legal document, as I understand it, the fact that something is 
*Section 4* is important. Not that it's the fourth section, but that 
it's *Section 4*. If section 3 is removed, section 4 stays *Section 4*. 
(Because you'd need to update all the documents which reference it, 
which would never be done.)

An ordered list isn't appropriate for that situation. An ordered list is 
appropriate for the situation in which I have 5 things I need to do, in 
order. When I realize that I don't need to do thing #2, I now have four 
things I need to do, in order.

So I don't think legal documents is an appropriate reason to reintroduce 
type=.

-- 
dolphinling
<http://dolphinling.net/>