372295 - radio button group without checked item should only put one radio in tab order

Status: RESOLVED INVALID

(Core :: Layout: Form Controls, defect)

Description

[David Bolter [:davidb] (NeedInfo me for attention)]

Attachment: html input group examples

From discussion on #dojo today. Becky noted that FF and IE differ quite a bit in how the user interacts with radio button groups via keyboard. We feel FF to be a bit odd here.

I'm not sure either browser has it perfect. Anyways posting this bug for discussion.

relevant chat dump:
(03:25:11 PM) becka11y: davidb: in FF with a grouped radio - each radio is a tab stop until one gets checked - then only arrows work
(03:25:48 PM) becka11y: davidb: in IE only one in group is in the tab stop - will be first if tabbing forward, last if tabbing backwards or if one is checked that one is in the tab order
(03:25:59 PM) becka11y: davidb: I think IE is right on this one
(03:26:13 PM) davidb: becka11y i tend to agree
(03:27:07 PM) becka11y: davidb: should probably submit as a FF bug - do you think?
(03:27:24 PM) davidb: becka11y: my thoughts exactly
(03:27:33 PM) davidb: who would you like to do that?
(03:28:12 PM) davidb: becka11y: would you like me to file the bug?
(03:28:28 PM) becka11y: davidb: makes no matter to me I modified ur file with an example (the checkbox mixed in causes tabbing issues)
(03:28:55 PM) becka11y: davidb: sure if you don't mind - I'll send my file I added proper headings and it almost validates (except for action on file)
(03:29:06 PM) davidb: becka11y: ok

Comment 1

[Aaron Leventhal]

We work the same way as IE. As long as Firefox can work out what the grouping is, then the selected radio button is the only one in the tab stop and you arrow from there. If there is no selected radio button then we start at the first in the group.

I just tested with the attached test cases and in fact it's still working correctly.

What's the real bug here?

Comment 2

[Becky Gibson]

Attachment: simple example of grouped radios

Comment 3

[Becky Gibson]

I've created a simpler example that does not mix checkboxes and radios.  When I tab through the page each radio in the first group is a tab stop - only the first one (red)should be in the tab order when I am tabbing forwards and no item in the group is checked.  Only the last one in the group should be in the tab order when I am tabbing backwards and no item in the group is chedked. 

This is not the same as in IE7.  In IE 7 when I am tabbing forwards in the page only the first item is in the tab order when none in the group are checked.  When I am tabbing backwards in IE only the last one is in the tab order when none in the group is checked.

It doesn't seem to matter if I am testing via http or file url.

In the second group only the checked item (blue) is in the tab order - this is correct.  The problem is when items are grouped and none of them are checked.

I am using FF 2.0.0.2  I do not have options addvanced general accessibility - Always use the cursor keys to navigate pages checked (although that doesn't make a difference). 

Comment 4

[Aaron Leventhal]

Becky or David -- does the new bug summary state the problem correctly?

Comment 5

[Becky Gibson]

Yes, the new summary states the problem correctly with one caveat:  The first item should be in the tab order when tabbing forwards in the document but the last item should be in the tab order when you are shift-tabbing backwards (I guess you could say that the last items becomes the first when you are going backwards :).  But I think the current summary is sufficient with the back/forwards details captured in the comments.

Comment 6

[Aaron Leventhal]

Okay.

Comment 7

[David Bolter [:davidb] (NeedInfo me for attention)]

I'm no longer as sure FF is wrong on this. I understand the idea conceptually of a radio "group" having a single tabstop (with arrow keys to navigate among the radios), but since the group is defined not by a master element but by input elements having the same name attribute value it is as clear to me what to do here.

I could imagine a sighted keyboard user might get confused if we go the IE way because they might try to tab to something not realizing that to get to it they need to do both tabbing + arrowing. This would be especially true in cases where the "grouped" radios are not grouped visually.

I don't feel that strongly about this though. Thoughts?

Comment 8

[David Bolter [:davidb] (NeedInfo me for attention)]

I no longer feel this is a bug. Please reopen if you disagree.