[whatwg] Simple numbers
Keryx webb
webmaster at keryx.se
Tue Jun 6 03:37:17 PDT 2006
Hello
My first post to this list and since I'm mainly lurking to learn, this will be
simple.
I have personally (and currently) no need to write any advanced mathematical
formulas, but would like to have simple but large numbers formatted in an usable
and accessible way.
If I write 54367534196.143 it is hard to read. In English this would be easier
for most users:
54,367,534,196.143
In Swedish we write it this way:
54 367 534 196,143
However, there are two problems.
1. The number might be split across two lines (bad usability):
... yadda yadda yadda 54 367
534 196.143
2. The number will not be spoken correctly using speech synthesis (bad
accessibility for some). Instead of "54 billion 367 million 534 thousand 196
point 143" it would probably say:
54
367
534
196,143
The first problem is easily remedied. Wrap in a span and apply CSS "white-space:
nowrap" or (not quite as elegant) use non-breaking space.
There are issues also with i18n. What is needed is some CSS rule that can be
used in a similar fashion to XSLT's format-number() or (dare I say it)
mso-number-format. If UAs knew that they dealt with a number, they might infer
from the current language what separates decimals from integers. Using selectors
for language and mediaspecific styles we could have numbers easily readable for
all sighted users and easily understood by blind users as well.
Lars Gunther
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