Collapsible Dropdown Listbox Example

[jamime]

I have two questions regarding this example: https://www.w3.org/TR/wai-aria-practices/examples/listbox/listbox-collapsible.html

1. In the example, Printable Characters are only respected when the dropdown is open. I couldn't find anywhere in
   https://www.w3.org/TR/wai-aria-practices/#listbox_kbd_interaction that states the dropdown must be open. It's also not explicitly listed in the example's keyboard table. The native HTML Select (Chrome, MacOS) allows you to change the selection using Printable Characters when the dropdown is closed. What is the correct behaviour and where can I find this in the WAI-ARIA Authoring Practices?

IMO: I'd expect the Printable Characters to work when the dropdown either closed or open.

2. In the example, the arrow keys open the dropdown and move the selection in a single keypress. This behaviour is explicitly listed in the example's keyboard table. However, I couldn't find anywhere in https://www.w3.org/TR/wai-aria-practices/#listbox_kbd_interaction that states the arrow keys should open the dropdown and move the selection with a single keypress. It doesn't say it should open the dropdown. The native HTML Select (Chrome, MacOS) requires two presses to do this. What is the correct behaviour and where can I find this in the WAI-ARIA Authoring Practices?

IMO: I'd expect the arrow keys to move the selection if the dropdown is open. If it is closed, I'd expect them to open the dropdown and focus the current selection.

[JAWS-test]

The native HTML Select (Chrome, MacOS) allows you to change the selection using Printable Characters when the dropdown is closed.

This also applies to IE 11, Edge, Chrome and Firefox on Windows. I am in favor of adapting APG example

The native HTML Select (Chrome, MacOS) requires two presses to do this.

This does not apply to IE 11, Edge, Chrome and Firefox on Windows. On Windows the select element is opened with Alt+Arrow up or down. In Firefox, Edge and Chrome, Enter or Spacebar also works to open (not in IE 11), but not Arrow keys alone. Since Alt+Arrow keys, Enter and Spacebar work to open in the APG example, I don't see any problem in the current behavior.

[jamime]

The native HTML Select (Chrome, MacOS) allows you to change the selection using Printable Characters when the dropdown is closed.

This also applies to IE 11, Edge, Chrome and Firefox on Windows. I am in favor of adapting APG example

I've also confirmed this behaviour in Firefox, Opera & Safari on MacOS.

The native HTML Select (Chrome, MacOS) requires two presses to do this.

I've also confirmed this is the case in Firefox, Opera & Safari on MacOS.

So it appears that the main difference is with the native Select is

• Windows, arrow will change the selection without opening
• MacOS, arrow will open the dropdown but won't change the selection, once open arrow will change the selection.

Reading the APG, it does seem to favour the Windows approach by focusing an item in the listbox when it the listbox receives focus. However, the APG example, opens the dropdown and moves the selection. This doesn't replicate the native behaviour of Windows or MacOS; nor is this behaviour defined in the APG.

[jamime]

Looks like this is a well documented issue:
https://www.24a11y.com/2019/select-your-poison/
https://www.24a11y.com/2019/select-your-poison-part-2/
https://github.com/w3c/aria/wiki/Resolving-ARIA-1.1-Combobox-Issues

[carmacleod]

In case it's helpful, note that there is a new "Select-only combobox" being developed for APG in #1396 that is in the final stages of review.