[whatwg] <details>, <summary> and styling

[Ian Hickson]

On Mon, 11 Apr 2011, Jukka K. Korpela wrote:
> Wilhelm Joys Andersen wrote:
> > 
> >    "If there is no child summary element [of the details element], the
> >    user agent should provide its own legend (e.g. "Details")." [1]
> > 
> > How exactly should this legend be provided?
> 
> Since the situation raises implementation difficulties, it would be best 
> to make the summary element required in a details element, i.e. to force 
> authors to provide a summary.

It is required. That doesn't force authors to do anything, though.


> But it appears to be an undue burden to require browsers to provide a 
> default legend, which would need to be different for different 
> languages.

Making it required doesn't help user agents deal with pages where it is 
omitted.


> A key issue with the details element is that it does not degrade well. 
> It's difficult to say how much this could be improved. In any case, the 
> fact that the details themselves - the content of the details element 
> excluding the summary element - do not constitute an element makes 
> things rather difficult.

It's easy to wrap them in an element for fallback purposes.

-- 
Ian Hickson               U+1047E                )\._.,--....,'``.    fL
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Things that are impossible just take longer.   `._.-(,_..'--(,_..'`-.;.'