Overview
This Fast Track tutorial demonstrates and employs web standards and accessibility methods for tabular data table creation.
It is presented free of charge to the community as a help authoring, technical writing and web design guide.
- The markup elements and attributes utilized are generic to all varieties of (x).h.t.m.l. and are demonstrated in the example table structures.
- Accessible markup code is employed to enable the successful interpretation and transfer of tabular data by assistive devices to visually challenged users.
- Feel free to experiment and edit the examples as you see fit.
Three views of a tablular data table are presented and discussed:
- Browser View: how users with normal or assisted vision view a table rendered in a browser or user agent
- Graphic Code View: a graphic rendering of the markup code structure
- Source Code View: the source code as viewed in a text editor
Important Note to those using front-end/design view Help Authoring Tools:
This tutorial focuses on the manual entry of (x).h.t.m.l. attributes and elements in a source code/text editor environment. However, if you are using a front-end design Help Authoring Tool (H.A.T.), please check its built-in facilities and wizards that enable the application of these markup elements to your work.
I hope you find this useful and the ideas worth employing in your own help authoring and technical writing.
The author: Frank M. Palinkas, November 2006