Select with Optgroups? Tables with (assuming two levels), a structure like this:
<tr> <th id="fruit" colspan=2">Fruit</th><td>Add</td> <td>Edit</td> <td>Delete</td> </tr> <tr> <td></td><th headers="fruit">Apple</th><td>Add</td> <td>Edit</td> <td>Delete</td> </tr> etc? The other thing (this list is definitely the wrong place for me to say this) is if this is for a content management system or the like, where the client's browsing capabilities are a well known quantity, perhaps it would make sense just to cater for that in whatever way works best for them, and not worry too much about broader "Accessibility". For example, it's unlikely a client would be using Lynx to update their website. If the audience is known here, usability should (IMO) win over absolutely universal accessibility -- only for back-end systems, though. Josh On 1/29/06, Andreas Boehmer [Addictive Media] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Lachlan Hunt > > Sent: Sunday, 29 January 2006 10:16 AM > > To: wsg@webstandardsgroup.org > > Subject: Re: [WSG] The dilemma: tabular data with sublevels > > > > Andreas Boehmer [Addictive Media] wrote: > > > Bert Doorn wrote: > > >> [ select category ] [ add ] [ edit ] [ delete ] > > >> > > >> You can have option groups in the select. Example: > > >> > > >> <form action="whatever"> > > >> <select name="product"> > > >> <option value="">Select Product</option> > > >> <optgroup label="Fruits"> > > >> <option>Apple</option> > > >> <option>Orange</option> > > >> <option>Lemon</option> > > >> </optgroup> > > >> ... > > >> </form> > > >> > > > > > > The problem is that we are not only allowing to add/edit/delete one > > > level of the hierarchy, but all of them. Imagine it more to > > be like this: > > > > > > [Add] [Edit] [Delete] Folder 1 > > > [Add] [Edit] [Delete] SubFolder 1 > > > [Add] [Edit] [Delete] SubFolder 2 > > > [Add] [Edit] [Delete] SubSubFolder 1 > > > [Add] [Edit] [Delete] SubSubFolder 2 > > > [Add] [Edit] [Delete] SubFolder 3 > > > [Add] [Edit] [Delete] Folder 2 > > > > Although it's currently impossible with a normal select list, > > you can instead use radio buttons or checkboxes within nested lists. > > > > <ol> > > <li><label><input type="radio"> Fruits</label> > > <ol> > > <li><label><input type="radio"> Apples<label> > > <li><label><input type="radio"> Oranges<label> > > <li><label><input type="radio"> Lemon<label> > > </li> > > <li>...</li> > > </ol> > > > > Just fill that out with all the necessary attributes and > > values, then add some submit buttons for add, edit and delete. > > I have considered this possibility, but to be honest I find it not as > user-friendly as the other solution. In particular if the list of items is > very long, users will have to tick the radio button and then scroll to the > end of the page (or the beginning) to find the button. > > So I am facing the question: make it user-friendly for the larger audience > or make it user-friendly for users of browsers that cannot display style > sheets. > > I am tending towards the first. ****************************************************** The discussion list for http://webstandardsgroup.org/ See http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm for some hints on posting to the list & getting help ******************************************************
