Assuming the code below:
<label for="cars">Choose a car:</label>
<select name="carType" id="cars" aria-describedby="feedback">
<option value="volvo">Volvo</option>
<option value="saab">Saab</option>
<option value="mercedes">Mercedes</option>
<option value="audi">Audi</option>
</select>
<label for="carPrice">Enter a purchase price:</label>
<input id="carPrice" type="number" aria-describedby="feedback"></input>
<div id="feedback">The {car} you are considering for {carPrice} is {good/bad} value.</div>
I have used the aria-describedby attribute relating to the feedback div twice. Is this acceptable use? I haven't found any documentation that says this isn't allowed, however it seems there might be another solution.
Kind regards
There is nothing wrong with several elements pointing to the same aria-describedby element. Both "carType/cars" and "carPrice" can point to "feedback".
Note that your first <select> will not have a label because the <label for="carType"> is using the wrong ID in the for attribute. Your <select> has a name attribute of "carType" but name is used for javascript access. The for attribute should refer to the value of the ID attribute. So you need to change your <label> to <label for="cars">
Related
Does dropdown element support "required=true" attribute? I have a usecase where I want users to compulsorily select a dropdown option, but by default I don't not want to prompt any of the options.
If not, why not?
Yes, it does have required attribute. See below snapshot.
<form>
<select required="required">
<option value="">None</option>
<option value="Test1">Test1</option>
<option value="Test2">Test1</option>
</select>
<input type="submit">
</form>
Documentation
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Element/select
I have on this check in form:
<label>Check in date </label>
<select id="day">
<option value="1">1</option>
<option value="2">2</option>
<option value="3">3</option>
<option value="4">4</option>
</select>
<select id="month">
<option value="1">1</option>
<option value="2">2</option>
<option value="3">3</option>
<option value="4">4</option>
</select>
<select id="year">
<option value="1">2012</option>
<option value="2">2013</option>
</select>
As you can see, the user will choose the month, the day and the year on different select boxes, however, only one label should exist for all three.
What would be the proper way to do this with HTML ?
Update:
I'm concerned with the accessibility hit that we may have on developing something like the code above. I mean, a blind user should be able to listen each label in order to fill this form...
The problem with using one label for all three input boxes is that an non-sighted user is not going to know which of three boxes the focus is in because the same text will be read out in each case. There's a number of approaches possible. Maybe the safest is to have a label for each box, but hide those labels off to the left side of the viewport. Another possibility which ought to work, but I haven't tested would be this:
<fieldset>
<legend>Check in date</legend>
<select id="day" aria-label="day">
<option value="1">1</option>
<option value="2">2</option>
<option value="3">3</option>
<option value="4">4</option>
</select>
<select id="month" aria-label="month">
<option value="1">1</option>
<option value="2">2</option>
<option value="3">3</option>
<option value="4">4</option>
</select>
<select id="year" aria-label="year">
<option value="1">2012</option>
<option value="2">2013</option>
</select>
</fieldset>
Following with the answer from #Alohci, you can also use aria-labelledby and reverse the naming reference (which I think is a bit closer to the convention you were looking for):
<label id="date">Check in date</label>
<select aria-labelledby="date">
<!-- ... -->
</select>
<select aria-labelledby="date">
<!-- ... -->
</select>
<select aria-labelledby="date">
<!-- ... -->
</select>
Also note, as per the W3C on labelled-by:
If the label text is visible on screen, authors SHOULD use aria-labelledby and SHOULD NOT use aria-label. Use aria-label only if the interface is such that it is not possible to have a visible label on the screen. User agents give precedence to aria-labelledby over aria-label when computing the accessible name property.
You cannot associate a label element with more than one control. This is described in the definition of label.
You could give each select element its own label.
A better approach is to have a single text input field for a date. Then there is no problem with label. It means more work, since you have to parse the data server-side, and you should also parse it client-side (for checks, so that the user can immediately be informed of problems). But it is better usability (surely it is faster to type in a date than to use three clumsy dropdowns) and better accessibility. You need to decide on a date format and clearly tell the user what the expected format is.
There is no proper way; a label refers to one element. Just point it to the first one.
<label for="day">Check in date </label>
You could also use a specifically-styled <fieldset> if you like semantics, but I think that's a bit overkill. An <input type="date"> is probably the best option here, as it is one element that can be pointed to by your <label>, is more semantic, and can be somewhat friendlier if you implement a good date picker to go along with it.
If you want to stick with the <select>s, try giving each one a title attribute for accessibility.
Trying to improve #Bracketworks answer:
<label id="date">Check in date</label>
<label for="day" id="label_day">Day</label>
<select id="day" aria-labelledby="date label_day">
<!-- ... -->
</select>
<label for="month" id="label_month">Month</label>
<select id="month" aria-labelledby="date label_month">
<!-- ... -->
</select>
<label for="year" id="label_year">Year</label>
<select id="year" aria-labelledby="date label_year">
<!-- ... -->
</select>
See example 1 of MDN's "Using the aria-labelledby attribute".
HTML5's input type="date" might be useful too, particularly if you're using month/day/year select boxes as a way to limit date selection possibilities. This input element supports min and max date attributes, so you can apply your limitations. It's not supported by older browsers, but I've seen smart cookies use jQueryUI's datepicker as a shim (by using capabilities detection to determine type="date" support, then loading in and invoking the datepicker only if it isn't supported natively).
I know that you can associate a label with an input using the for and id attributes. However can you use a class and not an id? Thanks
<label for="rooms">Number of rooms</label>
<select id="rooms">
<option value="1">1</option>
<option value="2">2</option>
<option value="3">3</option>
<option value="4">4</option>
</select>
Classes are not unique (you can have multiple elements with the same class), so no.
If you want to associate a label to an input without using ID, you can implicitly assign it by including said input inside of the label:
<label>Number of rooms
<select name="rooms">
<option value="1">1</option>
<option value="2">2</option>
<option value="3">3</option>
<option value="4">4</option>
</select>
</label>
Here is an example of when you wouldn't want to use an ID or nest the control:
I'm creating a BackboneJS application that uses templates. Because the template can be duplicated, it's important to refrain from using IDs, as it will create multiple elements in the DOM with the same ID.
I'm also using Bootstrap, which will present the control in a different (and undesirable) way if it's wrapped inside the <label> element.
At this point, the only solution I can find is to wrap the control element and tweek the default CSS to get the desired output. If someone has a more elegant solution, please chime in.
No, you cannot use the class of an element, because the same class can be used by multiple elements - in which case, which element would the label be for?
No, you can't. The only attribute you can use is the id attribute.
It doesn't make sense to use a class (which describes a group of related elements) since a label can be associated only with exactly one form control.
you can do this :
<label class="col-md-12 input-group input-group-sm">
<span class="col-sm-5 control-label text-nowrap">Code</span>
<input class="form-control listen code" type="text" size="15" required/>
</label>
I am trying to use aria-describedby on select box, but JAWS does not announce the text associated using the aria-describedby attribute in IE. I have even added tabindex="-1" to the span tag which is being referenced.Below is the sample code I am using. Can somebody please provide me any information on this topic.
<form action="#" method="post">
<div>
<label for="State">State</label>
<select id="State" name="State" aria-describedby="spanId">
<option value="acct">Choose</option>
<option value="act">ACT</option>
<option value="nsw">NSW</option>
<option value="nt">NT</option>
<option value="qld">QLD</option>
<option value="sa">SA</option>
<option value="tas">TAS</option>
<option value="vic">VIC</option>
<option value="wa">WA</option>
</select>
<span id="spanId" tabindex="-1">This is the text</span>
</div>
</form>
You can use aria-label="spanId"
Make sure you don't use title and aria-labelfor the same HTML element because title gets suppressed.
Using IE11 and Jaws 17 I have observed this issue as well.
My take is that this is a bug.
Until it's addressed by Freedom Scientific, I'd recommend using aria-labelledby.
This means something slightly different semantically:
a label describes the essence of an object, while a description
provides more information that the user might need.
Source: Mozilla Developer Network
But it's probably the best substitute you have available.
I know that you can associate a label with an input using the for and id attributes. However can you use a class and not an id? Thanks
<label for="rooms">Number of rooms</label>
<select id="rooms">
<option value="1">1</option>
<option value="2">2</option>
<option value="3">3</option>
<option value="4">4</option>
</select>
Classes are not unique (you can have multiple elements with the same class), so no.
If you want to associate a label to an input without using ID, you can implicitly assign it by including said input inside of the label:
<label>Number of rooms
<select name="rooms">
<option value="1">1</option>
<option value="2">2</option>
<option value="3">3</option>
<option value="4">4</option>
</select>
</label>
Here is an example of when you wouldn't want to use an ID or nest the control:
I'm creating a BackboneJS application that uses templates. Because the template can be duplicated, it's important to refrain from using IDs, as it will create multiple elements in the DOM with the same ID.
I'm also using Bootstrap, which will present the control in a different (and undesirable) way if it's wrapped inside the <label> element.
At this point, the only solution I can find is to wrap the control element and tweek the default CSS to get the desired output. If someone has a more elegant solution, please chime in.
No, you cannot use the class of an element, because the same class can be used by multiple elements - in which case, which element would the label be for?
No, you can't. The only attribute you can use is the id attribute.
It doesn't make sense to use a class (which describes a group of related elements) since a label can be associated only with exactly one form control.
you can do this :
<label class="col-md-12 input-group input-group-sm">
<span class="col-sm-5 control-label text-nowrap">Code</span>
<input class="form-control listen code" type="text" size="15" required/>
</label>