Andy Budd wrote: > If you are embedding widths in the HTML this is definitely an issue. > However if you are doing it using CSS, these devices should really use > 'handheld' stylesheets instead of those intended for 'screen'.
Indeed they should. Unfortunately, a lot of mobile browsers (such as PPC IE) apply the screen media type. > I doubt that using a flexible layout would be that much better. Take > your typical 3 col layout for instance. Reduced down to a mobile phone > sized screen you'd have exactly the same issue as described in your > first para. i.e. The text in each col would be so squashed up as to be > unreadable. For some (maybe most) devices, sure, but some screens (especially those on PDA's and PDA-style phones) are wide enough to accommodate multi-column layouts. It depends what you need to do with your design. 3 columns would certainly be pushing it, but two column or (obviously) single column designs would probably usually work better within a fluid design. Like I say, it comes down to what you're trying to do with the page. Dog Boy ---------------- Patrick Griffiths (PTG) http://www.htmldog.com/ptg/ http://www.htmldog.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "Andy Budd" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, July 30, 2004 11:53 AM Subject: Re: [WSG] Fixed vs flexible layouts > Patrick Griffiths wrote: > > > The accessibility concern with fixed (pixel) width layouts that > > instantly jumps to mind is that if a user with poor eyesight decides to > > bump up the text size, you're going to find yourself with fewer words > > per line. If you're not careful, such an action can lead to content > > being more difficult to read, especially in narrow columns. This is one > > of the benefits of elastic fixed (em) width layouts - you should > > maintain the same number of words on a line, no matter what the text > > size (but then, the larger it gets, the greater the likelihood of > > dreaded horizontal scroll bars appearing gets). > > That's my problem with using ems. You maintain the 'words per line' but > risk horizontal scrolling. Yet the horizontal scrolling/small screen > issue seems to be the main reason why the WAI advocate using relative > units instead of absolute units. > > > Oh, and then there's the accessibility problems with small-screen > > devices. If you were to set your content area to 600px wide, for > > example, some mobile browsers (I'm thinking Pocket PC Windows IE here) > > will apply that width and you have a scrolling nightmare on screens > > that > > will probably be much less than 600px wide. > > If you are embedding widths in the HTML this is definitely an issue. > However if you are doing it using CSS, these devices should really use > 'handheld' stylesheets instead of those intended for 'screen'. > > I doubt that using a flexible layout would be that much better. Take > your typical 3 col layout for instance. Reduced down to a mobile phone > sized screen you'd have exactly the same issue as described in your > first para. i.e. The text in each col would be so squashed up as to be > unreadable. > > > The WCAG are so vague, often with a get out clause of "well, if you > > can't really achieve that then if you vaguely do this to compensate > > then > > that's alright" kind of thing. It's not that difficult to argue that > > something is "AA" for example, because the guidelines give you a lot of > > flexibility and are open to interpretation. This is why, personally, I > > don't think WAI standards badges are that useful. Good as guidelines, > > but not as rules. > > Agreed. One of the reasons I posted here was because there are a few > WCAG members on the list. I'd be interested to hear their rational > behind this guideline. It seems to me that whether you use fixed or > flexible layouts there will always be accessibility issues at the > extreme ends of screen size. > > Andy Budd > > http://www.message.uk.com/ > > ***************************************************** > The discussion list for http://webstandardsgroup.org/ > See http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm > for some hints on posting to the list & getting help > ***************************************************** > ***************************************************** The discussion list for http://webstandardsgroup.org/ See http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm for some hints on posting to the list & getting help *****************************************************
