[bcab] Re: Links on web pages and screen readers

Hi
But the really lovely thing about XML (as opposed to HTML) is that it is - or 
supposed to be - a language that describes the structure of a document, rather 
than just how it looks. So, for example, you don't just have a Heading - you 
have a Banner-box with headings at the top of the page which you have set to 
skip if you meet, etc. while reading Headings attached to Body text.  Me, I am 
going to set my first instruction to skip Adverts!

As regards time - not really an issue as it depends on the tools you use. Get a 
version of DreamWeaver or whatever to spit out perfect, accessible code and be 
dead easy to use for all the latest visual tricks as well as maintenance etc 
etc - problem solved!

Tony

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: George Bell 
  To: bcab@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Saturday, February 23, 2008 12:09 AM
  Subject: [bcab] Re: Links on web pages and screen readers


  Hi Gordon,

  Let me try to put this issue on very, very simple terms - and probably be 
shot down my the experts in the process.

  If a document or web page is written properly, it will use what are called 
"Styles".

  Even if it does not officially use Styles in terms of what is called a "Style 
Sheet", it will have a default Style used for normal text.

  So again in simple terms, our XML document should have a normal paragraph 
style for it's main text.  We will call this a "p" style.

  But it also will have Headings, like a main heading and sub-headings.  We 
will call these "h1" and "h2", etc..

  So how do we know what font size these p, h1 and h2 Styles have?

  So in comes this thing called a "Style Sheet", otherwise know as a .css file.

  The web designer says that his web page defines these styles in his Style 
Sheet as follows.

  h1 = 40 Point Ariel font, coloured black.
  h2 = 20 Point Ariel font, coloured green.
  P = 10 point Times New Roman Font, black.

  Which frankly with the print sizes would put the proverbial whatnots off a 
partially sighted, large print reader.

  So, the idea is that YOU, young Gordon Keen, can keep a LOCAL .css file on 
his system.  And that overrides whatever the web designer of the page you are 
looking at says.

  So your personal Style Sheet might say, for example:

  h1 = 20 point white on black bold
  h2 = 18 point while on black bold
  p = 18 point white on black

  And if a range of 18-20 point means you can now comfortably read the web page 
- you have won.

  And yet let's look ahead when (I hope not, but) you may need larger font, you 
only have to make changes to one file, and all your viewed web pages will 
change to the size you want.

  If anyone is actually still with me here, you will hopefully have seen the 
implications of XML in terms of, for example, braille production.  A web page 
Style can therefore be matched to a braille style.

  But go further with alternative media.  Automatic conversion to speech, for 
example.  Headings can be emphasised because we know they are Headings and not 
normal text.  They can be indexed for sound, again because they are properly 
styled.

  And do you know the irony of it all?

  Properly styled documents actually save work in the regular work place!

  For example, you can create a Table of Contents on Word in literally seconds. 
 (And I've lost count of how many former university students have told me they 
wished they'd known how to produce a Table of Contents when they were producing 
their thesis!)

  I'll go back and crawl under my stone now.

  George W F Bell, Managing Director
  Techno-Vision Systems Ltd
  76 Bunting Road Ind. Est.
  NORTHAMPTON, NN2 6EE
  Tel: 01604 792777
  Fax: 01604 792726
  e-mail:  george@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
  Web: http://www.techno-vision.co.uk 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  From: bcab-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:bcab-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf 
Of Gordon Keen
  Sent: Friday, February 22, 2008 8:00 PM
  To: bcab@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  Subject: [bcab] Re: Links on web pages and screen readers


  Dear girl, you are too kind as usual, 


  So it takes some degree of commitment on behalf of the web designer to set up 
the CSS html web page. well if past performance is  anything to go on - it 
ain't going to happen then.   Anything that requires any effort on the part of 
the author is going to be binned straight away, time is money after all.


  So how does XTML differ, why would some nurdy web designer be more 
comfortable in XTML rather than HTML using CSS?


  Sorry, being a typical poor old man who is having difficulty understanding 
the problems.


  Regards,




  G




  From glorious Devon, England.

  (Where the Sun always shines and all the children are above average.) 
  On 22 Feb 2008, at 18:32, Léonie Watson wrote:


        Senior moment? Never! You're quite right. CSS can bring a lot of 
benefits to web design. Of course, it can be done badly, like anything else, 
but used in the right way it can help considerably.

        You can use it to present content in different ways for different 
people. It can make the ability to choose between different colour schemes much 
easier. It also gives rise to the possibility of overriding the website's 
default styles with something completely personal.

    Regards,




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