skip links and tab key navigation
Posted: Mon, 2008-04-28 12:49
Does anyone have any information on browsers that implement tab key navigation "correctly" or perhaps what correctly is?
My understanding.
- using the tab key should take the user to the next item in the tabkey order. If no specific order is given all the clickable elements in the page can be tabbed to in source order.
- if you press an intra-page link (e.g. #footer, #content) you jump to that point of the page. Subsequent tabbing should now be to the next item on the page after the item you've jumped to
After a quick check of several browsers only IE7 and FF/Win seem to match my understanding. Mac browsers don't tab to links, excepting safari if you enable a particular setting. No browsers besides the two mentioned start tabbing from the new point in the page after using an intra-page link.
Is my understanding correct?
Is javascript required to assist with skiplinks in Mac browsers?


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I just quickly checked with
Posted: Mon, 2008-04-28 14:59
I just quickly checked with FF/Mac v2.0.0.14 under 10.5.2 on this page:
http://juicystudio.com/article/skip-links.php
and it seemed to work just fine. I was able to tab to all clickable elements (in source order) and jump to an intra-page link and continue tabbing from that point - skipping the links that were just jumped over.
edit/ checked Safari 3.1 and didn't have the same results. It would return to the links that were jumped over (not to mention that the styling is completely different (didn't take on Safari?)).
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I can't even tab to links in
Posted: Mon, 2008-04-28 15:50
I can't even tab to links in FF/Mac 2.0.0.14, only to form elements. I.e. I can't access skip links on that juicystudio.com page.
Do you have any idea if there are any settings in Firefox or Mac System Preferences that could be affecting Firefox?
(I'm also running 10.5.2).
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Come to think of it, there
Posted: Mon, 2008-04-28 16:11
Come to think of it, there is a setting in System Preferences that I always change with a new system install. Under Keyboard & Mouse and Keyboard Shortcut tab, there's an option on the bottom for Full Keyboard Access. I always use the All Controls option.
Just checked and this does indeed enable it in FF (after relaunch).
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yes indeed you have to
Posted: Mon, 2008-04-28 17:46
yes indeed you have to explicitly set tabbing to links for Mac browsers.
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That's fixed it. I'd only
Posted: Mon, 2008-04-28 18:14
That's fixed it. I'd only looked in accessibility preferences before. Thanks.
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