Image Maps (client-side) need further specification
Corresponds to issue number 43
Contents
Problem statement / use cases
- Image maps currently have insufficient UI specification
- Image maps should obviate the need for server side map processing
- Providing richer UI and complete client-side support for image maps promotes better HTML accessibility
Proposed solutions
Add the href attribute to the MAP element as authoring option to allow authors a default URI for each AREA element and to make it work in a way more similar to INPUT element (each area appends the "&mapID=areaID" to the MAP href unless the AREA href overrides the MAP href)
- Area elements in image maps receive the same box frame treatment as other elements (though not necessarily a rectangular box frame).
- For example in visual rendering the margin, border, and padding properties for CSS should be respected
- 'hover' selectors should be handled properly by applying the CSS properties when the pointer hovers over the area element’s corresponding box frame
- the title attribute on the area elements should be presented just as the title attribute on any element
- CSS focus outline property
- fire and receive events like other box frames
- The HTML5 recommendation should include specific norms for activation of image maps such as
additionally append the &map=area to the URI in the same way that x= and y= are appended to the URI currently
- specifically indicate the x and y coordinates for overlapping areas and areas activated through non-visual UAs
- Liaison with CSS WG to provide additional styling properties for image map area boxes. For example:
- affine transformations of areas (hovering over area creates a enlarged magnifying glass effect)
These proposals make image maps more useful for authors. In some cases the inclusion an URI appended &map=area allows authors to create image maps through client-side authoring even without control over server-side services. In any event in simplifies the authoring process by allowing area mapping to be done only once on the client-side and attain all of the benefits that accompany client-side image-maps (including greater accessibility).
Discussion and evaluation
References
WG members should post feedback and other discussion to the WG’s list serve (the URI for the links below provides date information). Search on this email subject.