HTML
The Many Faces of the Hyperlink
The World Wide Web is built on links. It thrives because links are everywhere. There are links to the various pages on individual sites. There are links from one site to another. There are links in e-mails to websites. There are links in PDFs and documents to Web pages. Chances are, you used a link to get to this article. Yet, when it comes to setting up a website, styling and consideration of links is often overlooked. Or worse, specific choices for links are made that end up hurting the usability and interaction of your website. … Continue reading Dictionary Lists: Child Elements and How to Use
One thing I see far more often than is excusable in code that I inherit is improperly used and structured dictionary lists. Certain elements in HTML are limited to having only a few specific children, and dictionary lists are no exception. Putting incorrect elements as direct children can cause display issues, parsing issues, compatibility issues and headaches for future development (whether it’s a new developer or your own updates). When developing, it should be a priority to use the correct—and only the correct—children in parent elements. Here’s how to properly use dictionary lists. … Continue reading
Accessible HTML Tables: Element Attributes
The last time we discussed tables, we covered some lesser-used child elements. Between that and the first article on tables, we’re set on table elements. But what about table-specific attributes? There are quite a few, some which you may not even be familiar with. These can help non-visual user agents as well as semantics. Read on to learn more. … Continue reading
Advanced HTML Tables: Columns
Last week, we discussed table basics for the year 2010 (as opposed to 1995). We set up a simple semantic table with a caption, header and footer. Today, we’re going to go over two lesser-known elements: the colgroup and col elements. I had grand plans of going into some little-known attributes for other table elements, … Continue reading … Continue reading
How to Use the Table Element Correctly
First, how not to use the table element: as a layout tool. Repeat after me: “Tables are for tabular data. Tables are for tabular data. I will not use tables for laying out a Web page. Tables are for tabular data.” So, now that we’ve gotten that bit out the way, let’s talk about what comprises a semantic, valid table. This is basic table creation 101. Next week, we’ll talk about advanced table features. … Continue reading
Semantic, Accessible (Good) Forms: the Label Element
One of the most common issues I see with forms is the improper (or lack of) use of label elements. Admittedly, I too am guilty of misuse, but even after becoming aware of them, I was very confused about how to do radio and checkbox elements. Why? I learned incorrectly that the
for attribute of the label referred to the name attribute of the input. Wipe that from your memory this instant. The label’s for attribute is a reference to the input’s id. … Continue reading 
