HTML Techniques-10
3.3 Quotations
Checkpoints in this section:
3.7 Mark up quotations. Do not use quotation markup for formatting effects
such as indentation. [Priority 2]
The Q and BLOCKQUOTE
elements mark up inline and block quotations, respectively.
Example.
This example marks up a longer quotation with
BLOCKQUOTE:
This example marks up a longer quotation with
BLOCKQUOTE:
<BLOCKQUOTE cite="http://www.example.com/loveslabourlost">
<P>Remuneration! O! that's the Latin word for three farthings.
--- William Shakespeare (Love's Labor Lost).
</P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
End example.
3.4 Markup and style sheets rather
than images: The example of math
Checkpoints in this section:
- 3.1 When an appropriate markup language exists, use markup
rather than images to convey information. [Priority 2]
Using markup (and style sheets) where possible rather than images (e.g., a
mathematical equation) promotes accessibility for the following reasons:
- Text may be magnified or interpreted as speech or braille.
- Search engines can use text information.
As an example, consider these techniques for putting mathematics on the
Web:
- Ensure that users know what variables represent, for example, in the
equation "F = m * a", indicate that F= Force, m = mass, a = acceleration. - For straightforward equations, use characters, as in "x + y = z"
- For more complex equations, mark them up with MathML ([MATHML]) or
TeX. Note. MathML can be used to create very accessible
documents but currently is not as widely supported or used as TeX. - Provide a text description of the equation and, where possible, use
character entity references to create the mathematical symbols. A text
equivalent must be provided if the equation is represented by one or more
images.
TeX is commonly used to create technical papers which are then converted to
HTML for publication on the Web. However, converters tend to generate images,
use deprecated markup, and use tables for layout. Consequently, content
providers should:
- Make the original TeX (or LaTeX) document available on the Web. There is a
system called "AsTeR" ([ASTER]) that can create an auditory
rendition of TeX and LaTeX documents. Also, IBM has a plug-in for Netscape and
Internet Explorer that reads TeX/LaTeX documents and some of MathML (refer to
[HYPERMEDIA]). Note. These tools work primarily in
the English environment and may not work so well with speech synthesizers whose
primary language is not English. - Ensure that the HTML created by the conversion process is accessible.
Provide a single description of the equation (rather than "alt" text on every
generated image as there may be small images for bits and pieces of the
equation).
