[whatwg] maincontent element spec updated and supporting data provided

Wed Oct 17 22:28:01 PDT 2012

On Thu, Oct 18, 2012 at 1:31 AM, Steve Faulkner <faulkner.steve at gmail.com>wrote:

> Hi Ian,
>
> >Like the succinct and simple name of complementary content (<aside>),
> could we make the element name of the main content as succinct as <aside>?
> For >instance, <main>?
>
> I have responded on the HTML WG list to a similar naming preference
> comment: http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-html/2012Oct/0112.html
>

Thank you.

> Since the complementary content (<aside>) is a sectioning element, could
> we make the main content element a sectioning element, too?
>
> Can you provide some more reasoning for making the element sectioning
> content?
>
> There is a now W3C bugzilla component  for the HTML5 maincontent extension,
> you can file bugs against the spec there to ensure that your comments get
> recorded and responded to:
>
> https://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/enter_bug.cgi?product=HTML%20WG&component=maincontent%20element
>
>
> regards
> SteveF
>

Because both being elements for content, it is inconsistent that
complementary content is sectioning element and main content is not.

Another reason is about document outline. Please take a look at the markup
below:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<title>blablabla</title>
<header>
    <h1>Branding</h1>
    <nav>
        <h1>Navigation</h1>
        blablabla
    </nav>
    <aside>
        <h1>Search</h1>
        blablabla
    </aside>
</header>
<main role="main">
    <h1>Main Content</h1>
    <section>
        <h1>Welcome</h1>
        blablabla
    </section>
    <section>
        <h1>Brief Intro</h1>
        blablabla
    </section>
</main>
<aside role="complementary">
    <h1>Complementary Content</h1>
    <article>
        <h1>Latest News</h1>
        blablabla
    </article>
    <article>
        <h1>Recent Comments</h1>
        blablabla
    </article>
</aside>
<footer>
    blablabla
</footer>

If the main content element is a sectioning element, the document
outline formed by the above code will be clear and hierarchically
correct:
1. Branding
        1. Navigation
        2. Search
        3. Main Content
                1. Welcome
                2. Brief Intro
        4. Complementary Content
                1. Latest News
                2. Recent Comments

But if the the main content element is not a sectioning element, the
document outline will be confusing and hierarchically incorrect:

1. Branding
        1. Navigation
        2. Search
2. Main Content
        1. Welcome
        2. Brief Intro
        3. Complementary Content
                1. Latest News
                2. Recent Comments

Both main content and complementary content are content, so they are
supposed to be at the same level in document outline.

A bug report for this issue has been filed on bugzilla.

Kind Regards,
Ian Yang